


A Kindred Spirit

by SnowyOwl795



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Crucioing happened, Don't really Know how to Tag, F/F, Magic, Slow Burn, They just need hugs, Yeah. I'll stop now XD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 32,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25483231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyOwl795/pseuds/SnowyOwl795
Summary: An injured Bellatrix happens to appear in front of a very broken Regina. To what extent are those respective injuries? How will the two interact and get along?I thought there weren't enough Regina Mills/Bellatrix Black fanfictions out there so I've decided to do my own. Hope you enjoy :)
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 72
Kudos: 34





	1. Fallen Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Battles to end all Battles. What happens next?

The battle raged all around them, but Molly had her sight on the witch before her. The one who killed Sirius, that bitch who almost killed Ginny, who killed Dobby, who tortured Neville's parents into insanity, the one she was going to take down.

Lights flashed between them. All any spectator could see was a blur of jinxes and deadly curses sent towards the other. Shoot, block, shoot, block, shoot, dodge. The two ferocious women exchanged blows. Neither one getting the upper hand, until there was a deafening roar.

"HARRY POTTER!"

The dark witch turned her head towards her master's cry. That was her fatal mistake. As she came back around to fling a curse at the Weasel in a fit of fury, she was hit, straight into the chest.

Thrown back into an arc, like her cousin before her, she disappeared.

"NO!"

No one was quite sure what had happened to her that day. One minute she was there, the next she was gone, but the ultimate battle must go on.

Pain. That was all she felt as she tumbled into an abyss of darkness. Faint lights could be seen all around her, presumably stars.

Suddenly, her body was pulled thousands of light years, through swirling spiral galaxies, misty nebulae, passing frozen comets and asteroids hurtling through space. Without warning, her body was split apart, atom by atom until there was nothing left except particles floating slowly through space. As the remnants of her essence phased into a star, it accelerated at the speed of light. 

Zooming towards a blue and green planet, the matter crashed through the ground as it came to piece itself together bit by bit. Forming back into the woman she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Where could she have gone? XD
> 
> Pretty sure it's obvious with all the tags and stuff but shhhhhh! XD. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed. I know it's a short chapter and the next one will be but they should get longer. Although it may take me a while to actually write it sooo yeah. 😅 Hope you stick around for it, I'd really appreciate it :)
> 
> – Snowy


	2. Queen De-Throned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where Regina is at a low place.

TW: Suicidal thoughts

Lying on a couch in her vault, Regina takes a sip of the best apple cider anyone has ever tasted. Wallowing in self-pity, she stared blankly at the wall. There were no tears left to cry, all were used up in the last few days.

Everyone had left her. All because of a false accusation made towards her. She didn't kill him. Why would she? Archie was the only one to believe in her. Even after everything she'd done to change for Henry, it's all blown up into her face.

How, after everything she's done to fight to be good, can the 'heroes' doubt her? Yes, she's done many horrible and unspeakable things, but all that she has worked for is all gone. Her son has left her for his 'real' mother, she's been falsely accused of murder with a dog being the only witness, her curse that she had been preparing for her entire reign was broken, she was forced to watch for the second time in her life the death of her true love and instead of finding Archie's true murderer, the two idiots think it was her!

She had nothing left. No family, no love, no hope, no reason to live....

Picking up the vial of poison she prepared earlier, Regina took off the stopper of the bottle. Before it could reach her lips there was a blinding flash of light in front of her.

There, in the middle of the living space of her vault, lay a woman all clad in black, barely breathing.  
Maybe she had something to live for after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So that's the end of the second chapter! I hope you've enjoyed it so far (whoever is actually reading this XD)  
> I hope that the next chapters would be longer now that the two a re e together. 
> 
> These first few chapters were really there just to set the scene and establish the timeline. So yeah. That's all I have to say for now. Again, I hope you enjoyed! :)
> 
> – Snowy


	3. When Worlds Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just so you know, I added a bit to the first chapter so, if you want to check that out, just zip over there and come back ok? You don't have to but it puts in more detail how Bella came to Storybrooke. I can't tell you what to to but yeah. I'll stop rambling on and let you read on :).

Regina looked at the woman, stunned. The mysterious being wore a black dress bound in a leather corset looking worse for wear, her chest rising and falling in rattling breaths, her lips slightly parted. Her mass of curly locks were in disarray, a mess. Sleeves were attached together onto the dress with a series of leather cords.  
  
Knowing she had to help in some way, shape or form, Regina attempted to lift up the unconscious woman onto the couch. Struggling at first due to her previous emotional episode, she finally managed to half drag, half lift the body, laying it down where she lay moments before.  
  
Slightly out of breath, she sat down on the couch, lifting the other woman's head onto her lap. She stared at the ceiling of her vault wondering how this could have happened. What series of events led this person to appear out of thin air.  
  
Casting her eyes back down, she examined the face of the woman in front of her. She couldn't recognize her at all. Looking confused, she tilted her head to the side to see her face at a different angle. No clue of who she is. _Now where could you have come from?_ Regina thought. _Maybe someone from the Enchanted Forest that I never met? No, that can't be it. She seems to be wearing armour of some sort and had just come from a battle. It was very worn down and battered. The clothing she had on was unlike anything she had ever seen somebody wear from the forest._  
  
While continuing to ponder the woman's origin, she got up, replacing her lap with a cushion and walked towards her brewing station. Even though she promised Henry not to use magic, she had to help somehow. It was all she knew what to do in this situation. It wasn't like she could waltz into the pharmacy and get medication. Even if she did magic the medicine into her vault, she wouldn't know how she would administer it to someone who is unconscious. Either way, that solution would involve magic so she might as well go big or go home on the magic front.  
  
She collected the ingredients for healing and nutrition potions, it looked like the other woman needed them. Glancing over at her every so often Regina continued to work away, brewing the potions simultaneously. Luckily she had a spare cauldron so she could brew both. Her eyes kept flicking over to her guest in case anything about her condition had changed.  
  
In what felt like minutes, the potions were ready. In reality, hours had passed, her head caught up in what had transpired the past week.  
  
Regina poured the potions into different vials with droppers. She cradled the other woman's head in her arm and took off the dropper to the healing potion and let a few drops of the thin liquid fall under her tongue. She repeated the action with the nutrition potion then set the bottles down.  
  
She resumed the position she was in before, feeling bone tired her head tilted back. Eyes closed, her breaths deepened and evened out. Subconsciously seeking comfort of some sort, she started stroking the curly mane on her lap. As her breathing became even deeper, the hand slowed down to a stop. After a long, tiring day, she finally succumbed to sleep.

Regina and Henry sat across from each other at the dining table eating dinner, a plate of apples between them. As Regina ate her food she looked over at Henry who was copying her eating mannerisms. They exchanged snarky smiles to each other.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. _"I don't recall us expecting any company."_ Henry shrugged his shoulders.  
  
Regina stood up from the table and opened the door. She came face to face with Emma Swan.  
 _"Sheriff Swan, what are you doing here?"_ she inquired, looking at her confused. _Why would she be here? It's very late._

_"Henry invited me,"_ Emma replied briskly. Regina couldn't believe the audacity of this bitch.

_"Do you honestly believe I would allow you into my house for dinner after all the threats you've made to my family?"_ Her tone getting slightly angrier and aggressive.

_"I didn't come for dinner."_ That stopped the queen in her tracks.

_"Then what did you come here for?"_ She asked more confused than ever.

In an eerie voice Emma replied, " _You_."

Regina turned around to Henry to see if he saw what was happening between his two mothers. Her heart almost leaped from her chest. He wasn't there behind her.

Whirling back around, she was not only facing Emma, but Snow, David, Red, Granny and Leroy were there, along with a slightly transparent Archie.

" _We all did_." Again, with the creepy voice. It was unnerving looking at all of them staring right at her. She glances over each of their critical faces, with a pang of guilt when her eyes land on Archie's faded form.

Regina heard a creak by the staircase and turns around.

It's Henry. With a lot of thick rope. " _Henry_ ," she exhaled.

Suddenly she was transported to the middle of the town's main road tied to her precious apple tree. The apples on the tree had all turned black once again.

She could feel the ropes tighten around her, restricting her movement.

_"No, NO. Let me go. I command it!_ " she exclaimed.

  
" _After everything you've done to all of us?_ " Red snarls, her face merely centimetres away from Regina's. She could feel her hot breath on her.

  
" _Apologies your majesty, but my conscience is clear_ ," Archie growled in the most UN-Archie way. As his faded projection grins while he tightened the rope he added _"I know it was you who killed me, Pong saw it all."_

_"You're not queen anymore, sister!"_ Leroy shouted, unhelpful as always.

" _Tighter!"_ Granny demanded. " _She needs to feel our pain!"_

Snow came up and shouted distraught at her. _"You took our love and ripped it apart!_ "

" _And now you're gonna pay!"_ David added in angrily.

Emma made her way to Regina and stopped in front of the struggling woman. She grabbed a blacked apple and squeezed it in her hand. The apple burst and oozed a black slimy liquid onto the ground.

_"Rotten to the core"_ she stated as she tossed the apple remains to the side.

  
In a resigned voice Regina said as her voice broke " _I just wanted to win. For once. I wanted to be good, for Henry."_ Tears were streaming down her face at this point.

Emma walked up to her in a threatening manner and grabbed her by the neck. _"You took away our happiness and now it's our turn to take away yours. You killed Archie in cold blood. Henry will never believe you after what you just did. We know who you are and who you will always be."_

_"What?"_ Regina said, fearful of what was to come next.

Emma released her neck. A small relief and turned to her father. David looked at her and gave her his sword.

_"Henry,"_ she begged. " _Henry please don't let them do this to me. I tried to be good. I tried, I promise! I didn't kill Archie!"_

" _You did this to yourself,"_ he yelled nastily. "Stop lying! _You killed Archie, you killed Daniel!"_ Her heart broke at once he said it. _"Is that you really trying to be good?"_ Henry stepped back allowing Emma to step nearer to their captive, sword in hand.

Before Emma got a chance to swing her father's weapon at her, it was as if time slowed down. A flash of light brought down by the sky landed right in front of Regina. A mysterious being appeared, resembling the woman she saved earlier.  
  
Regina looked into her grey, almost black eyes, as the woman brought her hand up to the queen's face to wipe away the stray tears. She gave her a small, sad smile.  
  
Suddenly, she lurched forward as the slowed sword finally made an impact, just not on the intended target. Regina screamed and was slammed back into her own body.

  
She woke up with a jolt. Her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Remembering the dream that woke her up brought tears to her eyes. Henry.  
  
Still disorientated she looked around, trying to gather her bearings. She felt a weight on her lap and looked down. It was her. _The one from my dream she saved me._ Regina was still a bit out of it. Then everything came back to her.  
  
 _Henry. Archie. Daniel._ Thoughts swirled around her head.  
  
Remembering who the woman was and what she had done to help her, Regina gathered the bottles of potion and administered them to her patient. Both of their breathing evened out, especially after the potions were given.  
  
Regina got up and placed the cushion behind the woman's head once again to get herself something to eat. She trudged to the kitchen space in her vault. There were enough ingredients there to last her for a while anyways. Assembling all of the necessary ingredients, Regina set to work making her famous lasagne.  
  
Trying to distract herself from her thoughts she continued baking, making a few apple turn overs as a result.  
  
The smell of cooking pasta and pastry filled the vault. Over on the couch the woman's breathing deepened, inhaling the scents of apple and tomatoes. Slowly heavy lidded eyes fluttered open.  
  
Her body felt extremely stiff so she started moving. Sitting up on the couch she stretched herself. Joints cracked and popped. As she arched her back she winced at the pain in her chest. An image of her falling backwards flashed across her eyes. She straightened up and looked down. Her corset armour had seen better days. Wait, why was she wearing this? She didn't remember having this.  
  
Regina left the kitchen counter after cleaning up the station. She had the alarm set for both dishes. Feeling no need to remain in that area, she walks back to the living room with one of her spell books.

Hearing a gasp her head snapped up.

Slightly taken aback, realizing the other woman was awake, she jumped a bit.

Collecting herself, Regina cleared her throat. "Nice to see you're awake."

She got no reply, just a puzzled look and a head tilted to the side. It was as if she could see the gears turn in the other woman's head.

They stared at each other for a moment when Regina finally said, "Do you speak English?"  
  
She slowly nodded, gears still turning, processing everything going on around her, blinking quite rapidly.  
  
Continuing on to question her Regina asked, "Do you have a name you can tell me?"  
  
Nodding again slowly she croaked, "Bel, aghm, Bellatrix. I think."  
  
"You think?" _Ugh this memory thing is getting old. It only happened once with the curse and stuff but still. It's already been done_ she thought.  
  
In a British accent, slightly pained she replied to her rescuer. "Yes? No? I don't know. Everything is so foggy. I just... I just don't know." Bellatrix held her head in her hands, brow furrowing in concentration. "I can't," she said shaking her head. Her breath quickened. Inhaling and exhaling. Faster and faster. "I can't, I can't, I can’t!" Her voice rose higher. She was hyperventilating.  
  
Regina was panicking. She didn't know this person. She didn't know how to calm her down. She did what she would have done if it was Henry. Full momma bear mode.

"Hey, hey. Shh. Come on breathe with me." She placed Bellatrix's hand over her heart and breathed deeply. In and out, in and out. Inhale and exhale.  
  
Guided by Regina, Bellatrix's breathing evened out. Looking up at Regina she calmed down, giving her a thankful smile.  
  
Slightly teary Bellatrix said, "Thanks, um, sorry, I didn't catch your name."  
  
"My name is Regina. Now, care to tell me what that was all about?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to put in a disclaimer here. Obviously I don't own any recognisable characters, just to put that out there. Also, the dream sequence is heavily based on the dream Regina had in Season 1 episode 21.
> 
> Anyhow, hope you guys enjoyed. Feel free to leave a comment :)
> 
> — Snowy


	4. It's All a Fairy-tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Bellatrix get to know each other, kinda. They get a visitor in Regina's vault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back. Nice to see you guys here again (despite not being able to physically see people who read this, just a figure of speech XD)! Hope you enjoy. I won't keep you here too long so, you may resume! :)

"I can't believe it! You're alive!" Henry shouted excitedly tackling Archie into a big hug. Archie returned the embrace, slightly breathless he reassured the child. "I'm okay Henry, I'm alright."

Emma could scarcely believe her own eyes when she opened up the door to see Archie standing there alive and well. Her mind was going a million miles an hour. _What happened? How is he here? WHAT, Cora is here? Ugh, Hook's here too. Now that Pongo isn't going to be here David and Snow won't be moving out. Looks like we'll all be staying together for a while. Unless, of course they still want to move after this. Henry looks so thrilled to have Archie back. He doesn't have to be upset about his other mother killing his therapist since said therapist isn't dead. Oh, gosh, Regina didn't do it. What will happen when she finds out? Shoot, we don't know where she is! Where could she be? She's hardly at home after the last spat._

As all of this ran through her head she just stood there, mouth slightly ajar, looking at the heart melting scene before her. However, once her thoughts came to Regina she kind of scared herself. Feeling fearful and a little bit guilty she said to Henry, "Hey, Kid. You know what this means? Regina didn't do it!" 

"Yeah! We should go and tell her!"

_____________________________________________

**_5 Hours Earlier_ **

"... Now, care to tell me what that was all about?"

"Umm," Bellatrix started, scrunching her eyes and tilting her head to the side in concentration. "I can't quite remember anything. There was darkness, it was all around me, there were faint lights passing by me at tremendous speeds, suddenly, there was pain. So, so much pain. It was like I was being ripped into pieces. I seemed to float or something? I stayed separate, my body in pieces, or what I thought were pieces, at least. I passed through this light and then, I suppose, I woke up here?" 

Regina held her in her arms once she finished her story. However, it didn't really add up in her head. She understood the pain aspect of it, but for it to bring on a panic attack? No, there must be something else going on here. 

"Is there anything else you wanted to say?" she asked concernedly, hoping to get the full story.

Slightly hesitant, Bellatrix continued to explain. "When you asked me if I was sure of who I was, I wasn't. All I know is that my name is Bellatrix and I know it’s 1998.”

Regina stiffened when she heard that. Feeling her companion’s discomfort, Bellatrix swivelled her head to face her. “What?”

Unsure how to answer, Regina hesitated, “Well, umm, please don’t panic too much but it isn’t 1998. We’re in 2012.”

Rapidly blinking in disbelief, Bellatrix stood up shaking her head. “No, no, no, no, no, no!” Suddenly everything was coming back to her.

“Easy there, try taking this,” Regina told her while getting the bottle of healing potion. Hopefully that would calm her down. She stood up and took off the stopper on the bottle.

“Here, open your mouth. Three drops under your tongue.”

Bellatrix opened her mouth, slightly desperate like a baby bird looking for food from its mother. Once the potion made contact, she calmed down. Giving Regina a grateful smile she sat back down.

“Sorry. It’s a lot to take in. Wow. Fourteen years.”

“I know.”

The sudden realization hit her. “I have to go back. They need me. It was almost over! We could have won!” Bellatrix exclaimed, her voice getting louder and louder.

“What’s nearly over?”

“The war! Have you been living under a rock for the past fifteen years? Judging by that potion you gave me, you must be a witch! -”

“- Now that’s a very strong word for it,” Regina butted in, but that didn’t stop Bellatrix from her tirade.

“-I don’t know about the wizarding world in America but I’m extremely sure they would have heard about it. Don’t you know? The war between muggle integrators and pureblood conservators? No? Does none of this ring any bells in that head of yours?” she continued on, only pausing once to wait for Regina’s reply, a manic expression on her face.

Trying to make sense of all that was said, Regina said, “So what you’re telling me there was a War between two wizarding sides, for simplicity’s sake we’ll call one dark and one light. There was a big battle and uh, you mentioned purebloods and muggles right?” A nod. “This sounds familiar.”

She paused to think for a minute, putting her hand up to rub her chin; she pieced all of the clues together. It was almost like a game of Guess Who.

“By any chance does this war have anything to do with a boy named Harry Potter?”

The reaction she got was quite unexpected.

“Oh don’t get me started on _him_! Potter with his mudblood Granger and that blood-traitor Weasley! They were a real pain in my lord’s side for years!” Bellatrix said as her voice rose higher, reeling back.

Regina looked at her in shock. Genuinely surprised she was right. There in front of her was Bellatrix Black; right hand to one of the most infamous dark wizards in the magical world. It was hard for her to believe it.

“What? Why are you looking at me so strangely? You hardly believe all of that rubbish the Daily Prophet has been spewing out about us?” Bellatrix questioned.

“You’re Bellatrix Black.”

“Yes, what about it?” she bit back, wondering how this practical stranger knew her maiden name.

“Sorry, it’s just so hard to believe, but I suppose even I’m fictional in this world as well. You were part of an organisation called the Death Eaters, correct?” She nodded positive. “I think I know where you’re from.” As she said that the timer for the food went off.

Regina stood up from the couch and made her way back to the kitchen area, Bellatrix closely following behind her. Regina started to explain as she took out the dish of freshly cooked lasagne, placing it onto the worktop. Bellatrix looked at the tray curiously.

“You come from England, London I would think in particular. At eleven, like all young witches and wizards of that age, you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a magical school in or around Scotland. You would take a train to it from King’s Cross Station, London from platform 9¾. You have a cousin called Sirius, if I am not mistaken, named after the dog star. From what I can remember, you killed him at the department of mysteries. Then you went to Sna-“ She was promptly cut off by a knife being held close to her throat.

“How do you know so much about me? Did you go prodding through my mind? Well?”

“Put down the knife and I’ll tell you,” Regina gritted, trying not to move her neck so much with the sharp edge so close to it.

Bellatrix lowered the knife slightly, getting a look from Regina; she set it down on the worktop beside the lasagne.

“Where we are right now, you are part of a much larger story. However, it is a story of fiction and fantasy. It’s a series of books called Harry Potter and Something/Someone that is Significant that Year. In total there is seven books, each book for each year one would spend at Hogwarts. You’re introduced to the series through a memory in the fourth book. Honestly you remind me of myself. Having such devotion to a cause. Mine was a personal vendetta against my stepdaughter… I tried to kill her. So many times. I never got her. At least to worked out well-ish in the end. Everything led to my son. He’s lost to me now.”

Regina trailed off, getting caught up in her own story. Bellatrix, also inside her head, stared blankly at the wall beside Regina’s head.

The second timer for the apple turnover went off which broke the two out of their trances. Clearing her throat, she retrieved the baked pastry out of the oven. Letting them cool down on a wire rack, she offered Bellatrix a slice of lasagne. Realising how hungry she was, Bellatrix devoured two slices of the mince tomato pasta, savouring every bite. Regina glanced at the rate her companion ate amusedly, as she herself ate more refined. She was a queen after all.

_______________________________________

“We should go tell her!”

Henry walked toward his mother’s vault. He was ready to tell her Archie was found alive and well. He entered the mausoleum and looked around where Henry Senior’s coffin lay. Making his way around the stone coffin structure, he pushed it to the side.

“Mom?” he called out. “Mooom?”

_____________________________________

Regina and Bellatrix had finished their lasagne and ate an apple turnover each. Laughing together about rare moments in Bellatrix’s childhood, they bonded over the things they had in common. They went back into the living space full of light and mirrors still full of mirth after Bella’s attempt on Regina’s life. It seems only they would have found it funny.

Bellatrix noticed a bit of wood sticking out under the couch. Reaching down to get it, she realized it was her wand. She sighed in relief and hugged it to her chest.

Suddenly Regina whipped her head around to face a mirror which startled Bellatrix who jumped pointing her wand in that direction. Regina kept listening and that was when Bella heard it. A young boy’s voice calling out for his mother.

Waving her handover the mirror, Regina revealed Henry walking towards her, looking around in her direction. She then remembered who was behind her and she snapped “Would you put that thing down? That’s my son!”

Reluctantly Bellatrix lowered her weapon, eyeing the mirror suspiciously.

Henry could still be seen on the other side of the glass searching for a secret door or tunnel of some kind continuing to call out for her. Regina paused near the mirror, debating with herself. She finally gave in and opened the hidden door.

The change in her demeanour was instantaneous. Regina became softer and more vulnerable as she embraced her son. “Henry, I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you so much when… I have to let you know I had nothing to do with Archie.”

“I know. I always knew,” he said cryptically. Bellatrix gave him a look at that. Regina, not registering what he was saying kept pleading her case.

“I was framed. I don’t know how. I—it just seemed like everything…” Suddenly it clicked. “You knew? How did you know?” she asked, more confused than ever. If he knew, why did he push her away? Little did she know, she was just about to find out.

“Simple,” he replied. Once that was said, the two women watched as a purple mist surrounded the small boy, revealing an older woman wearing a dark blue dress with elaborate designs. “Because I did it.”

Regina looked at the newcomer in horror. “Mother,” she breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. Whelp, Bella found out that she's fictional, Regina dropped hints and guess who's back, back again (sorry, couldn't help myself XD)! Feel free to drop a comment if you want to of course. I can't tell you what to do, merely, nudge you in the direction I want you to go X).
> 
> \- Snowy


	5. Third Wheeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora is back! How will Regina feel about it?  
> This is basically Bellatrix third wheeling as they talk, hence the name XD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, nice to see you again in that totally non-creepy, more metaphorical way! Again, I won't keep you long so, enjoy! :)

“You,” Regina exhaled shakily. “I thought we stopped you. How did you get through?” As the words were spoken Bellatrix decided now was a better time to test her magic with quick disillusionment and silencing charm. She wouldn’t want to intrude on the family reunion.

“Determination,” Cora stated in the conversation at hand. “I had to see you.” _Well isn’t she mommy dearest?_ Bellatrix thought. “I needed to tell you that I know why you sent me through the looking glass... And I know why you tried to have me killed and, it’s alright.” _Wow. I knew she was dark but, wow, that is dark!_

“I think it’s not alright,” Regina snapped back.

“I love you.” _Ah, not this bullshit._ “I just, I’ve always shown it in the wrong ways.” _Typical._ “And I never should have made you marry the king.” _King who now? I’m missing something here._ “I’m so sorry. When you cried over my coffin, it... it all changed.” _Dang, she even had a coffin!_

“You framed me for the cricket,” said Regina, her voice still shaky.

“Temporarily,” Cora said to explain her actions. “So you could see what these people really think of you.” _And I thought I had a rocky relationship with my mother._

“You made an airtight case. Anyone would believe it.” _I hardly believe this._

“I didn’t want you to reject me. Not again.” _Good luck with that sweetheart._

“You wanted me broken!” Regina shouted accusingly. _That is very harsh but by the sounds of it, true._

“Receptive.” _Sure you did._

Regina couldn’t help but laugh at that. “You are the most manipulative... No. I won’t even argue. Come with me. We’re going to town.” _Ooo, she really means business now._

“It’s the middle of the night,” Cora tried to reason. _Excuses, excuses._

“I don’t care. We’ll wake them up. Emma, Henry and the two idiots.” _Aw such endearing names._ “And you can tell them how you lied. You owe me that.” _From what I’m hearing she owes you a lot more._

Looking slightly hopeful Cora asked, “And then you’ll let us start over?”

“I don’t see that happening, mother. But I am – I was trying so hard to be worthy of Henry. I deserve the same thing from you,” she said with an air of sadness.

“You’re right,” Cora said with slight reluctance. “For you, sweetheart, anything.”

Regina made to turn around to exit the room but the remembered a certain someone. “You coming with us?” Bellatrix smirked. It seemed she was able to hide herself from the older Mills. She nodded and followed Regina to the car.

On the way Cora was asking who Regina was talking to. Regina caught onto what Bellatrix wanted; to remain hidden from others, so she merely shrugged.

What puzzled Cora more was that Regina opened the back door of the “carriage” before opening the front passenger side for her. She then took her own seat at the driver’s wheel and started the car.

Looking back through the rear view mirror, Regina noticed Bellatrix’s discomfort with the vehicle. She made a point to show both of them her putting the seat belt on. Mirroring her actions, Bellatrix managed to get her belt to click in the same time Cora did her own.

After silence during the whole journey, as they drove through Main Street Regina spoke.

“Nervous?” Knowing full well Regina could hear her Bellatrix butted in “Well she better be.” As Cora replied oh so graciously “Not about owning up to what I’ve done. It’s just these carriages are strange” _Have to agree with you on that one_ “And something’s irritating me. Oh.”

Cora pulled out a round slab of clay that was painted red with a small handprint in the middle of it. Two words were written under it in the clay. “Oh,” she exclaimed, chuckling. “For Mommy. Oh, that used to be you.” _Cute._

“When were you in my house?” _Snooping through your things. That can’t be good._

“I haven’t had the pleasure.”

“It was in my house. Think I don’t know where that was?” Regina challenged. _Ooo, she’s in trouble now._ Regina glared into the mirror at Bellatrix, trying to ignore her. “It’s one of my most treasured possessions.”

“Well let’s be honest. Taking me to be pilloried by the town might get you some points, but as long as Emma and her parents are here, he’s not really yours. Not like he was when he made things for his one and only mommy. You’ve been bad for too long and now they see you as a... a snake.” _Hey, what’s so bad about snakes?!_ “You don’t want their love at all. What do you want?” _Yes, what do you want Regina?_

“My son back.”

“And I want my daughter back. I meant everything I said earlier. I am so sorry. I can do better. I won’t push you away again. Let me into your heart. Together we can get him back again.”

At that, Regina caved into her mother’s advances. She laid her head on her mother’s shoulder for comfort. “How?”

“Oh, I have a few thoughts.”

Bellatrix watched the interaction between mother and daughter. It looked like Regina’s mother really cared about her but still. There was something unsettling about her. Cora didn’t seem to have much, emotion as her daughter did.

She didn’t know. Couldn’t really decide if she trusted the older sorceress.

What she did find intriguing however, was the type of magic they used. Regina didn’t use much in her presence and the only bit she really saw was Cora transforming from Henry. She would love to find out more.

Those were her thoughts as Regina pulled away from her mother to continue driving the “car”.

They drove through the streets of Storybrooke passing rows of houses. Finally they stopped outside a large white mansion.

Regina unbuckled her belt and turned towards her mother. “I’ll need you to teleport out of the car into the house. I can’t be seen with you.”

“Very well,” Cora smiled. Bellatrix watched in amazement as Cora made a quick upward gesture with her hand, consuming her body in smoke. As it cleared, there was nothing there except an empty seat.

“So,” Regina said twisting around to face the witch in the back seat. “We’ll be staying here now it seems for the time being. You can take whatever guest room you want as long as it’s not the one my mother chooses. If you want, I can introduce you to her tomorrow. I assume that charm you have on doesn’t affect me since I can see you and mother can’t. You can keep it on until tomorrow as well. I would prefer it that way once you meet each other properly.”

Bellatrix nodded, only half listening to her. She was looking at the way Regina’s moth moved as she talked, taking notice of a scar above her lip. The trip they had taken left Bellatrix quite exhausted after it.

Both of them left the car. It was easy enough for Regina to pretend to her mother later she left something in the back seat of the car to explain why both doors had opened and closed.

Entering her house for the first time in days she took a deep breath in. A pain of sorrow panged in her heart. It smelled like Henry. She told her mother to pick a room to retire in for the night. As she did that, Bellatrix took another room closer to Regina’s.

Soon all of the women in the house fell asleep only to wake up to another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there goes chapter 5! Hope you guys enjoyed. It's a bit shorter than the last two but I thought it made sense to end it here.
> 
> I added a lot of Bellatrix's thoughts in italics rather than constantly putting in inverted commas. Also, generally those italics can only be heard by Regina 'cause she didn't want her charms to affect Regina.
> 
> The dialogue in this is mainly from a season 2 OUAT episode(s). Can't remember which ones but they're definitely after "In the name of brother".
> 
> Anyhoo, feel free to drop a comment, would really appreciate some feedback :)
> 
> \- Snowy


	6. Let the Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora and Bellatrix are introduced. Hook has plans for the crocodile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

_“Bellatrix!”_

_“Yes mother?”_

_“What’s this I’ve heard about you sullying the Black name by frolicking around with mudblood boys?!” Druella demanded._

_“I haven’t been ‘frolicking round with mudblood boys’ not to mention mudbloods in general!” Bellatrix sassed back thinking of how she saw Andromeda with Tonks before the break._

_“Don’t you dare talk back to me that way missy! You think someone as respectable as Lucius Malfoy would lie of such a thing? How dare you! Crucio!”_

_Bellatrix dropped to the floor screaming not expecting the curse. Hearing a door slam somewhere in the distance, she continued to writhe in pain on the floor until she fell._

She opened her eyes to Regina looking at her worried. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving. Trying to gather her bearings she noticed she was on the floor of a guest room at Regina’s.

“You OK Bella?”

“Yeah,” she said breathlessly. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

“Here’s some more of that potion I gave you before.”

Both of them heard another door closing and footsteps coming towards them. Cora opened the door to Bellatrix’s room wondering what all the commotion was about. She was met with the sight of her daughter cradling a dark, curly haired woman on the floor with the bed sheets all twisted as if a fight had broken out.

“What’s all this Regina?” she asked.

“Well I had hoped you would have met at least during breakfast,” Regina muttered under her breath. In a louder voice she said “Mother, this is Bellatrix, Bellatrix, this is mother.”

Cora looked at her warily. “Who exactly is she?”

“You could ask me yourself Madame Mills,” Bellatrix said getting off the floor. She stuck out her hand as she introduced herself. “Bellatrix Black of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black.”

“Cora Mills, I suppose. Judging how my daughter took Mills as her name I might as well take it as mine. Pleasure to meet you,” she shook the offered hand briefly.

“Now that’s over and done with, mother, if you would please excuse us, I would like to speak with Bellatrix alone,” Regina said slightly ushering her mother out the door.

“Very well,” Cora said eyeing the witch as she left the room.

Once she had left, Bellatrix swished her wand casting a silencing spell over the room.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare or wait for some other time?” Regina asked.

“Another time preferably, pet,” Bellatrix replied. “You know the way you were saying I was a fictional character from a series of books?” Regina nodded. “Do you have them here by any chance?”

“Yes, I’ll get them for you later, but first we need to get some food into you. Let’s go, I’ll make some breakfast for the three of us.”

Disabling the spell, Bellatrix and Regina came out of the room and walked into the kitchen. Cora was there looking at the coffee machine curiously. She pressed a few buttons trying to figure it out but it didn’t seem to work for her. _At least I’m not the only one puzzled about muggle inventions_ Bellatrix thought to herself.

Regina went to her mother before she could cause any damage, explaining that she had to plug in the machine before they could get any coffee from it. Getting frustrated with the two of them trying to figure out the machines she said she would just do it herself.

Ten minutes later the smell of cooked bacon wafted from the stove. There was also the smell of fresh toast lingering in the air. She also made pancakes and set fresh fruit out on the table for them to start eating.

After the delicious food was eaten, Bellatrix cleaned up with a few waves of her wand. Cora was caught up on the magic of Bella’s realm once all of her questions were answered.

Regina had to go to Snow and David’s to get Henry, but before she left she gave Bellatrix the books along with a warning. “This is from your enemy’s point of view just so you know. It may be infuriating to read but this is or rather should be your story.”

Cora went off to do who knows what inside the house while Bellatrix curled up on the sofa in the living room to read the books.

* * *

**_Meanwhile at the Charmings_ **

Regina mentally prepares herself to face the two idiots. Time to initiate part one of the plan. Taking a deep breath she puts her hand up to knock on the door. Before she could strike it, the door opened.

“Regina, you’re back,” Snow said surprised.

“I know you think I’m responsible for poor Dr Hopper’s death,” she started to plead her case. As she was saying it David interrupted her.

“He’s... Alive.”

“What?”

“You were framed,” Snow stated sadly.

“Who would do that?” Regina asked, genuinely curious what they had to say about that whole situation.

“Your mother. She’s here.”

“But that’s, that’s not possible.” Of course she knew it was possible. She only left her mother a few minutes ago with Bella.

“We found a way back, so did she.”

Regina let out a sigh, smiling on the inside. Her acting skills were en Pointe.

“We were wrong and we’re so sorry.” It didn’t pass Regina’s notice that it was Snow who was doing most of the talking. This was the first apology she had gotten from the incident...

“I know. But if Cora’s here then we’re all in danger.” _More like all you idiots._ “Please you have to let me see my son. I can protect him,” Regina ‘pleaded’.

Snow and David shared a look. _This can’t be good._ “He’s not here,” Snow started.

“What?”

David continued to explain. “Mr Gold asked Emma to help him find his son and they left town about an hour ago with Henry.”

“And no one told me?” she asked getting irritable.

“We didn’t know where you were and to be honest, Regina, I don’t think Emma has to run anything by you.”

_That bitch. She thinks she can talk to me that way I could easily choke her out right now. No. Remember the plan Regina; get Henry._ Slightly gritting her teeth she subtly sneered.

“No I suppose she doesn’t.” Then she left.

Well that was a bruise to her ego.

Now to the next place.

* * *

**_Near the Docks_ **

“Hello Hook,” she greeted.

“Regina,” he said in surprise.

She took note of his tone. “Expecting my mother? The one you were _supposed_ to kill?”

“Oh, that. Well I didn’t wanna deprive you of a happy reunion.” _Sure he didn’t._

“Well, it’s your lucky day. She and I have made amends.”

She then continued to question him about the ship and her mother’s things on it. After learning that Hook was incapacitated for a while, she then found out a shrunken giant was on the loose. The best part about this is that is said giant is angry with a certain Prince. He would prove to be a great distraction.

* * *

**_A Few Moments Later_ **

Regina walked slowly towards the shrunken giant by the lake as he sat on a log. Once he noticed her approaching he stood up quickly.

“Get away from me!” he shouted at her.

“I’m here to help you she said with ‘concern’.

Shaking his head he said, “No. You’re human. I hate humans.” Regina tried walking towards him before her shouted, “Don’t come any closer! Or, I’ll kill you.”

Laughing at the empty threat Regina said her piece. “Look. I hear you’re in town ‘cause you wanna kill someone. I can help. I have no love for this prince either and if you wanna destroy this town to get to him, well I’m happy to do my part.” She pulled out a mushroom out of her pocket offering it to the giant.

“This will make you bigger. It will return you to your former glory,” she said as she handed him the mushroom. He took the blue Wonderlandian mushroom and took a bite out of it.

The moment he swallowed the magical fungus he was enveloped with a blue smoke. He rose higher and higher. As soon as the smoke cleared he had grown up to his original height in the Enchanted Forest.

“Now get to work!” she shouted up to him due to height difference. “As I am sure you’re aware that mushroom won’t last forever!”

* * *

**_108 Mifflin Street_ **

“Why is Quirrel so stupid? If he had done his job competently for the Dark Lord, He would have returned years ago! And Snape! I knew that bastard wasn’t on our side really. He had the audacity to say that _I_ was useless to our Lord in Azkaban?! Well, he was useless in the sense that he cost our side a lot of time. I could have been out five years before I actually got out, but nooo. He had to sit there in Old Dumble’s Pocket in a comfy teaching position at Hogwarts. He complained about not getting Defence Against the Dark Arts as his class? Try sitting in a cell in AZKABAN with blooming DEMENTORS!”

Ugh. She couldn’t deal with these people. She had just finished the first book of the series and _of course_ the Potter boy lived to see seven other years. All the sappiness in the book made her gag.

Unable to endure more of that sappiness, Bellatrix remembered what Regina said earlier. She gets introduced through a memory in the fourth book. To avoid excess sappiness, Bellatrix skipped the second and third book. She also knew this was the year her Lord would return to power.

Getting excited to read about her Lord, she curled back up onto the couch and read.

Cora didn’t bother her at all throughout most of the day, which was surprising.

Taking a break from the book after reading about the first task, Bellatrix decided to go look for her. She was curious about the mother of the one who healed her.

Poking her head into each room she came across, she finally saw the older Mills sitting in the office looking at a picture. She knocked gently on the door.

“Hey.”

“Hello. Bellatrix, isn’t it?” Cora greeted as she put the picture frame down. It was a photograph of Regina and Henry.

Bellatrix walked in and sat down on one of the sofas making herself comfortable.

“I must say, I was curious about the person who my daughter was hiding from me. Did you think I didn’t notice? She was acting strangely last night. Opening doors, giving looks to nothing in particular. I thought she was going mad!” she laughed to herself. “But it all made sense in the morning when I woke up to screaming and doors slamming. It was you. So tell me dear, what’s going on between you and my daughter?”

“Nothing much,” Bellatrix said. Cora looked disbelieving. “Just the start of a beautiful friendship. Apparently I was in a right state when she found me.”

“And where exactly did she find someone like you?” she asked suspiciously.

“Well arguably it was me who found her. From what she said, I just popped into existence right in front of her. She told me about how she gave me potions to heal. I was unconscious the whole time so you’ll have to ask Regina for any other small details.”

“Do you have any plans now that you’re here?”

“Seeing that my Lord is lost to me for now and I owe my life to Regina, I think I’ll stick around. I can’t exactly go to my world seeing as it’s practically in another dimension! What’s with all of the questions?”

Cora moved towards her. “I wanted to know what your intentions are in this world. Would you mind if I just have a look at your heart?” Without waiting for an answer Cora thrust her hand into Bellatrix’s chest.

Bellatrix gasped in surprise, opposed to pain. Then she started laughing at the sensation of someone holding onto her heart. Once her heart was pulled out, she felt a kind of numbness on her emotions. She looked at the beating organ with a morbid fascination.

There was a slight glow on it, but not much. The majority of it was as black as her name with only a small bit of red swirling in the middle of it.

Cora looked at it curiously. She had never seen such darkness in one heart, not even her own. Looking at it, she wondered how someone could get their heart as dark as this.

The door of the office opened up. “Mother could you come up to my room, we need to talk...” she trailed off taking in the scene in front of her. Cora held Bellatrix’s heart in the palm of her hand while Bellatrix herself was staring at it.

Bellatrix looked up from her heart to meet Regina’s eyes. “Mother what the hell are you doing?!”

“I was curious about this mystery person you were hiding from me last night. Not much gets past me as you should know by now Regina,” Cora said back to her.

“Put it back in!” Regina demanded.

“Put what back in?” Hook asked as he strode into the room. “Bloody hell Cora! Is that really necessary?”

Cora let out a heavy sigh and pushed the blackened organ back into the witch’s chest. Bellatrix didn’t even flinch. Impressive.

“Let’s go up to your room, Regina dear,” Cora said to her daughter. The mother and daughter duo walked up to Regina’s room to talk for a bit. Hook turned to Bellatrix.

“And who are you, pretty lass?” he leered at her.

She heard about pirates before and if she wasn’t mistaken, Hook was one of them.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, mate,” she said winking at him. She then left the office to hear what the Mills women were talking about with Hook following behind her.

As she climbed up the stairs she could hear snippets of conversation.

“- sure he’s safe. As soon as Gold’s done, Henry will be back.”

“But not with me.”

Hook pushed past Bellatrix to interrupt. “Back? From where? Where’s Rumplestiltskin gone?”

“I don’t know,” Regina said sitting on the bed with her mother beside her.

“Well if he’s left town then he’s powerless. He can be killed,” Hook reasoned.

Then Cora interjected, “The moment either of us leave we lose our magic and our advantage.”

“Your memories?” Hook inquired.

“None of us were victims of the curse. It’s not about memories. It’s about magic. Even if you do find him, do you really think you could just walk up to him and stab him in the heart with your sword?” said Regina.

“Well I prefer my hook but I can’t find that now.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I deserve my vengeance!”

“You’re right. You’re right,” Cora said placated. “You do. And with the Dark One gone we can search for the one magical item that can kill him here – his dagger.”

Thinking on it for a minute Bellatrix finally joined the chat. “Well I wasn’t part of the curse and my magic is different to yours so I might be able to do magic ‘outside’ as you say, without losing memories. Tell me if I’m wrong and caught onto the conversation incorrectly.”

“She has a point,” Regina said. “But I think it would be better to stick to the plan of finding Gold’s dagger. I need to go and check if the Bookworm has anything on it. I bet he trusted her with its location. Feel free to explore the town disillusioned. I think we’re fine on our own. Plus you might want to read on a bit.”

Bellatrix shrugged, “Fine, if you don’t want my help.” She left the room with the schemers to explore.

“You sure it’s alright to leave the lass on her own, love?” Hook asked.

“I think she’ll be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's me again. Nice to see you back here again if you've made it so far.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed it. :) 
> 
> I want to thank SandwichBandit. Thank you for sticking around. I look forward to waking up to find a comment from you after each chapter I post that was sent at 3 in the morning X). I really appreciate it and thanks again for taking the time to comment. :))
> 
> Not sure what else to say so yeah. Hope you have a nice day/night/evening :D
> 
> \- Snowy


	7. Dark Daggers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's going down. The Mills and Hook continue their search for the dagger. Snow suffers another loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. How y'all doin'? Won't keep you here long. Hope you enjoy! :)

Bellatrix skipped silently through town, taking in the sight. It was too bad she had to be ‘subtle’. Suddenly a great idea hit her. Or rather she ran into it, a pillar in front of the library.

Remembering Regina mentioning something about a ‘Bookworm’ having something to do with the dagger, she popped inside quietly.

She browsed through the shelves, searching for anything useful. Near the back there seemed to be more ancient looking tomes.

Taking a down a heavy black leather bound book with golden silver embellishments, she read the cover of it. ‘A AKY ACAZ CA KAWϴ’. _Hmm, seems interesting enough._

She opened it up. To her surprise there was a hollow cut out of it. Inside lay a key. A large one at that.

She flicked to the pages that weren’t cut out to make room for the object to see if there was anything useful there. It seemed to be written in some form of elvish or in something even older.

Near the back of the book she found a detailed of an illustration of a dagger. It had a curvy blade with black swirling details on it and the hilt of the knife was twisted.

Wondering if there were any other things hidden in the books, she opened the next thickest book. There were more spaces carved into the pages. In each hollow there was a knife with a black hilt and a silver blade. They looked perfect for throwing.

Suddenly she heard whooshing noises and turned around suddenly, nearly dropping the book.

There was a large plume of purple smoke. As it cleared she saw Regina, Cora and Hook standing there.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she greeted, smiling at the way Regina jumped slightly in surprise.

Taking in his surroundings, Hook questioned “Shouldn’t we be pillaging his shop or ransacking his home?”

Getting over her initial shock of seeing Bellatrix there Regina replied, “That would be the obvious choice, yes. But Gold wouldn’t risk crossing the town line and losing his memory without entrusting the dagger’s location to someone.”

“Belle,” Hook filled in.

“My guess is she hid it in one of her beloved books,” Regina said as she browsed the shelves.

“Impressive, Regina,” her mother praised.

“Thank you mother.”

“I’ll be impressed when I’m holding the dagger in my hand,” Hook interrupted, breaking the tender moment.

Regina continued to look through the shelves. The number from the flash card in Belle’s bag still fresh in her mind.

“Um, Cora, would you mind answering two questions?” Bellatrix asked the older Mills.

“Sure, why not? As long as it’s important.”

Pulling out the tome she was checking earlier, she opened it onto the page with the illustration on it. “By any chance is this the dagger you lot are looking for?”

Surprised that there was a book illustrating the Dark One’s blade, Cora nodded. “And what was the second question you had for me?”

“Oh, that was the second question I asked you there,” Bella laughs.

Cringing at her attempt of humour, Cora rolled her eyes. She turned to her daughter who was still examining the numbered books on the shelves.

Between two books there was an empty space.

“No, it should be here,” she exclaimed.

“Well it’s not is it? May we go now?” Hook butted in petulantly.

Noticing a shadow in the space Cora said, “Hold on”

Putting her fingers into the ‘empty’ space, she pulled out a piece of marked tracing paper.

“What’s this?”

“Oh yes. Crude,” Hook laughed at the paper. “To the untrained eye, a child’s scribbles, but to a pirate…” he said as she unfolds it. “It’s a map. Gold may not have hidden the dagger here, but I believe he’s left us the next best thing. It’s location.”

“Can you read it?”

“Well lucky for you ladies, I’m quite adept at finding buried treasure,” he boasted.

Feeling fed up with this search for now, Bellatrix left to explore a bit more. She noticed a staircase going upwards from the library. Curious to where it led, she walked up.

“I give you to location of the dagger,” Hook said lining up the map with added lines.

“Well done Hook,” Cora said looking at the map. “We’ll take it from here.” And with that she snatched the map from the table and turned to go out the door.

Hook pursued the yelling “No. You promised me!”

Cora flicked her hand in his direction, flinging him back into a bookshelf. “This dagger’s much too powerful to be wasted on you.”

“So… Is… This, what it was all about? Getting Rumple’s dagger so you can obtain his dark powers?” Regina asked as they walked out.

“If we possess the dagger, we control the Dark One,” Cora stopped and explained. “And when he returns to Storybrooke, we can command him to kill Snow White, Prince Charming and Emma. Our enemies will be vanquished and you will be blameless in the eyes of the only person who matters.”

“Henry.”

* * *

Regina and Cora travelled to the point where Hook marked on the map. Regina, with shovel in hand, began to dig down.

After a few minutes there was a sizeable hole in the ground.

“And you’re sure this is where we’re supposed to dig?” Cora asked.

Regina sighed from exertion. “Yes. Hook marked it clearly. Rumplestiltskin’s dagger is here.”

“Unless he lied to us,” Cora quipped.

“Well the, this map is useless. Gold is the only one who can translate it,” Regina said in frustration, dropping the shovel to the ground.

“Oh, don’t worry sweetheart. Hook could have saved us a lot of effort with honesty, but the truth is, we don’t need anyone. I can reconstruct the map. It’ll take a bit more time and when we find it, I promise you, I’ll use that dagger to force the Dark One to kill anyone you like.”

Little did they know there was a certain Princess listening in on their conversation.

* * *

Hearing a ping coming from her pocket, Regina checked her phone. It was Snow. Something about Henry and needing to meet at the diner.

So while Cora tried to find the dagger’s whereabouts, Regina headed to Granny’s.

Seeing Snow the minute she walked in she asked quickly, “How is Henry? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. Everything’s fine,” Snow said calmingly.

“What’d he say?”

“I didn’t actually talk to him.”

Regina sat down at the booth across from her, sighing. “Then why am I here?”

“Because I know you’ve been lying and I thought it was time we talked about it.”

Trying to deny it she started saying “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Snow wasn’t having any of it. Interrupting her she said “No, no, no, no, no. No more lying. I know you’ve been with your mother. I know you’re looking for the dagger.”

“What I’m doing is _my_ business,” she sneered.

“There’s a war starting, Regina.”

“That much is clear, yes.”

“Lucky for you, you’ve earned enough good will with me to give you one last chance. A chance to choose the right side – the side of good,” Snow tried to reason.

Regina couldn’t believe the two dimensional world Snow was living in. “Have you ever considered that maybe, perhaps… I _am_ good? I was always the queen. It was _you_ who added ‘evil’ to my name.”

“Good doesn’t do what you do. Why? Regina, why go back to being this way after how hard you tried?” Snow questioned.

“And what did it get me?” Regina asked her. “Dinner with a bunch of hypocrites who pretend they’ll forgive me, when… in their hearts they know… they never will.” She inched closer to her step daughter. “You’re giving _me_ the chance? How about I give you one? Stay out of my way.”

Regina got up to leave but was stopped when Snow said, “Listening to your mother is a mistake, Regina.”

Regina scoffed. “Because listening to you will work out _so_ much better.”

“She doesn’t care about Henry. All she wants is power.”

“Power is how you get things.”

“She doesn’t care about _you_.”

“Really?” Regina said, trying to look unfazed. “And what would you know about mothers?”

Without letting Snow say another word, Regina left the building.

* * *

Snow and David finally got through to Gold and Emma. They wanted to get to the dagger before Regina and Cora could. It was then they learned that Gold was dying.

After going back and forth between them, Emma eventually convinced Gold to tell Snow and David the dagger’s location.

Going as fast as they could, they ran to the clock tower, taking the lift up to the mechanism. David removed one of the glass panes by the minute hand. There, tied to the hand with rope, was the Dark One’s dagger.

“The Dark One can finally be controlled,” he exclaimed.

Two pillars of purple smoke appeared with Cora and Regina in the centre of them.

“Indeed he can,” Cora stated. “But by whom?”

“Cora,” Snow said in surprise.

David stepped slightly in front of Snow. “You’re too late.”

She chuckled. “Actually, it seems that we found you just in time.”

Snow faced towards Regina. “I told you to pick your side carefully. Good has won, just as it always does.”

“T think the day’s finally come, my darling Snow, for you to learn a _long_ overdue lesson,” Cora laughed. Waving her hand, she poofed a new person into the tower.

“Johanna!”

“You see in the end it isn’t good or evil that wins… but power.”

Regina ripped Johanna’s heart out swiftly causing the woman to cry out in pain. Snow gasped at the sight. Regina held out the heart in her hand. “Your choice.”

“Don’t harm her. She has nothing to do with this,” Snow pleaded.

“Of course she does!” Cora exclaimed happily.

Struggling through the pain Johanna spoke. “Whatever they want Snow, don’t give it to them!” She was cut off in a scream of pain as her heart was squeezed tighter.

“Quiet, handmaid,” Cora commanded.

Unable to listen to this anymore David pulled out his gun to point it at Cora.

“Mother watch out!”

Cora flicked the weapon out of his hand. It was thrown into the moving gears, totally unusable.

“Leave me Snow! Ahhh!” Johanna begged, not wanting her little princess to deal with this by trying to make her decision easier.

At this stage, Cora was getting impatient. “Enough of this. Surrender the dagger. We all know you’ll follow your mother’s example, no matter the cost. All she ever wanted was for you to be good.”

Snow recognised the phrase. “Those words, where did you hear those words?”

“Where do you think?”

The whole story of her mother’s death was coming together piece by piece in her head. “The Blue Fairy made me swear never to speak of that candle again. Not because it was a secret... but because it wasn’t her!”

Cora held out her hand. “The dagger, dear.”

Snow continued piecing the story together. “She didn’t give me the candle. You did. My mother wasn’t sick at all, was she?”

“Oh, she was quite sick,” Cora chuckled.

“You did all of this. You killed my mother.” Her voice was full of emotion.

Cora corrected her. “Actually the candle would have worked. You could’ve saved her.”

“But you knew I wouldn’t.” She started to whisper. “Why? Why did you take her from me?”

“To make my daughter the queen.”

Regina’s head snapped toward her mother as Snow looked over to her. Looking unfazed by the new information she demanded, “Hand over the dagger!”

“No, no. I will not let you win again!” _Oh the irony. Wasn’t it only a minute ago you were saying good will always win?_

“You’ve already lost your mother. How many connections to her do you have left? Not many I’d wager,”

David whispered to Snow. “If we give up the dagger, we can still win.”

“Let me go Snow. It’s alright. Ahh.” Johanna doubled over in pain.

“What would she say if she could see you now?” She continued to taunt as Regina kept squeezing the heart. “If she wasn’t _dead_.” Holding out her hand she requested again, “The dagger, dear.”

Unable to take the sight of her childhood nurse gasping in pain, Snow threw down the dagger as she yelled “Enough!”

Regina loosened her hold on Johanna’s heart. The nurse looked relieved as the pressure was put off. Cora summoned the dagger with a whoosh from where Snow had thrown it.

“Such a good girl,” she cooed.

Snow gritted her teeth. “You have what you came for.”

As Regina placed the heart back into the owner’s chest, she pushed her toward Snow.

“Not quite everything,” Cora commented.

Using her magic, Cora flung Johanna out through the clock’s face. Snow ran to look down.

Suddenly, another voice joined in. “No, not quite,” Bellatrix said as she appeared on the railing, sitting back, legs crossed with the real dagger in hand. “Gemini charm,” she whispered. Pointing to the one in Cora’s hand she told her “That’s a fake one.”

Turning to Snow, she took a look at the surprise and sorrow her face. “Aww. Is the widdle pwincess Snow Fwake gonna cry, hmm?” she cackled in her baby voice. She continued to laugh.

“Well there you go,” Regina said as finality. “See where good gets you?”

With that said and done Cora and Regina disappear in columns of purple smoke. Bellatrix wasn’t far behind as she cackled, then vanished with a loud pop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yeah... Bella was there the whole time! XD  
> Bet ya didn't see that coming XD. JK  
> Hope you liked it, feel free to kudos and comment and I'll see you in the next chapter.
> 
> \- Snowy


	8. The Miller's Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I you've watched Once Upon a Time, you know what's up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice to see you again! :)

Walking into the Mayor’s office, Regina sighed. “It’s nice to be back. Hiding is quite, wearisome.”

“You can say that again. Nearly knocked me off the railing there with that muggle fellow’s weapon,”  
Bellatrix said as she got off of the table, handing Cora the real dagger.

Cora surveyed the room. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

“I’m so happy you approve,” Regina said with slight sarcasm in her voice.

Cora looked concerned. “What is it my love? You’re troubled.”

“You never told me about your history with Snow’s mother.”

“I spared you that burden, like any good parent would do.”

“You didn’t think I deserve to know exactly what it took for me to become queen?”

“Now you know.”

The whole story was coming together. Pieces of the puzzle clicked together. “That day at the stables, when I rescued her... that wasn’t an accident was it?” _This is getting interesting._

“You made sure I’d be in the pastures when Snow rode past. You had to make sure when I met Snow White... her father would be searching for a new queen.”

“And what does this knowledge change for you?” Cora asked.

Regina scoffed. “That you won mother. I am the queen. And if that’s what you wanted so badly, why do you need Rumplestiltskin’s dagger now?”

The realisation hit her. “You’re worried my interests are no longer aligned with yours.”

“My only interest now is Henry.”

“And I’ve told you, you’ll have him.”

“But how?” Regina questioned. “Now that Mary Margaret and David know we have the dagger, we can’t use Gold to kill them without Henry finding out!”

“Plus they’ve seen me sooooooo, I can’t be used,” Bella cackled.

Cora cast her eyes down at the dagger. “Have patience, my love. By the time Rumplestiltskin returns, Emma Swan and the rest of them will be nothing more than a vaguely unpleasant memory and Henry will be yours.”

* * *

Once that conversation was out of the way, Bellatrix decided to finish reading the books. Still cringing at some moments in them, she skipped onto the bits with her and her Lord in them. That really sped up the reading. She sat on the couch in the office, engrossed in the book. She was slightly put out by some of the accuracy of the story.

When she read the part about the pensive she was really surprised. Those words she said to Crouch... they were accurate. She remembered that day clearly; the last day before Azkaban.

Although there were some unnerving accuracies, she didn’t appreciate some of the descriptions of her. She wasn’t really crazy, was she?

Tossing the Goblet of fire to the side, she skimmed through the Order of the Phoenix. Soon enough she was onto the Half Blood Prince. _Of course Snape would have chosen such a dramatic name like that._

As Bellatrix read on the couch the two Mills women were listening into Snow and David’s conversation.

“Hey, I just talked to Emma. It’s a bad wound. She says it’s poison. They can only cure it back in Storybrooke. They’re taking a ship home,” David said into the phone.

“Well, let them know that they have the knife okay? As well as our new visitor form the clock tower. Who knows what that wicked woman would do?” Snow asked, unaware someone was eavesdropping.

Not liking what she was hearing, Cora slapped the speaker off the table. Like a cat.

“Mother,” Regina chastised.

“I don’t like what that enchanted box was saying. I’m not — I’m not wicked.”

“It’s not an enchanted box. It’s a phone tap,” Regina explained impatiently.

“I don’t care. What matters is they’ve been warned. Rumplestiltskin’s smart and now, he has time to think.”

“But he’s injured.”

“More than injured,” Cora said looking down at the dagger. The first few letters of his name were staring to disappear from the blade. “He’s dying. And when his name disappears, all of that power will just... boil off into the air and... There will be no new Dark One.”

Taking in the new information, Regina processed. “Okay. SO we have to use him to get Henry back before he dies.”

“Not in his condition. I don’t want to kill him faster.” Looking down at the dagger she couldn’t think of any other solution. “No, there are no other options. I have to stab him with this knife and take his power as my own.” Meeting her eyes with Regina she proclaimed, “I have to become the Dark One. And with this power, there’s nothing I won’t be able to do.”

“But Henry’s never going to forgive that. And the whole point of this is...” she trailed off. “Wait. What is the whole point of this?”

“To protect our family,” she reasoned.

“Or you gaining your power,” Regina challenged.

“Whatever power I gain is for us... To protect you, to protect Henry. If we lose this battle, we’ll spend the rest of our short lives on our knees in front of them. And that my love, is something I’ll never do.”

* * *

_No. No, no, no, no. It can’t end like this. How after everything we had done, did we_ lose _? How?_

Bellatrix was panicking, she was furious. She couldn’t keep it all in. She screamed, lashing out at everything around her, flinging curses everywhere.

Cora came through the door first to see the destruction. Bellatrix was still in a rage. Unable to deal with this at the moment, she flicked her wrist sending the witch flying into the wall. Bella was knocked out instantly with a snap.

Regina heard the commotion and ran inside. “What the hell did you do to her mother?” Regina shouted as she saw Bellatrix’s unconscious body slumped against the wall.

“I had no idea what to do. She was going crazy. She just screamed and smashed everything around her. This was the only way to get her to stop while keeping a low profile Regina!” Cora shouted back.

Regina saw the books she was reading among the debris. She put two and two together.

“Well I wouldn’t blame her after what she had just found out. She was fighting a _war,_ mother. She found out that she had _lost._ She lost everything in that war; her sisters, her Lord, practically all of her family. She just found out everything that she has done up to that point was all a _waste_. Do you know what a dementor is? It’s like a wraith but _worse_. Unlike a wraith that just absorbs your soul with its hands; a dementor _feeds_ off of positive memories. The air around you gets so cold it freezes lakes _solid,_ you can see your breath in the air. You can imagine one being outside right? Imagine having hundreds of them around while you’re stuck in a dark, damp prison cell made purely out of stone for _fifteen years_. Fifteen years, mother is how long she had spent in that hell hole they call Azkaban! That’s longer than the amount of time she missed through whatever time travelling thing she got caught up in. She was _glad_ to go in there. Knowing what she had done to try to get her Lord back! Now she knows even after her sacrifice, he failed in killing the one person and was killed himself! Now she knows her sacrifice was all for nothing.”

“Everything inside of those books are true for _her_ , mother. If you read them from her perspective, you would be lasing out too.”

Regina waved her hand, repairing all of the damaged objects in the office. She knelt down beside the unconscious woman and healed the gash at the back of her head. The younger Mills was slightly out of breath after her rant.

With a small burst of magic, Bellatrix woke up. Seeing who was in front of her, her face crumpled and tears sprung to her eyes. She grabbed Regina in a hug for comfort and sobbed.

“I... I can’t believe he’s really gone,” she cried as the tears streamed down her face.

Regina hugged her and rubbed her back. “Shh, it’ll be alright.”

“He’s been dead for fourteen years already,” she sobbed, shaking her head. “What am I going to do now? I have no cause. I can’t go back. Not to a world where he’s not there.”

Neither Mills knew what to do.

“What... What if it’s not true?” Bellatrix said hopefully, breaking their hug to look into Regina’s eyes. “What if they lied? He could still be there! He has to be there!”

She was beginning to become more hysterical. “They lied! I know they lied! He can’t be gone!”

“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s okay. Everything will be fine. Even if he is gone,” Bella whimpered at that, “You can still stay here with us. You can keep the guest room, you’ll have a place here,” Regina told her.  
Taking a few deep breaths, her heart rate slowed. She still had her arms wrapped around Regina.

“I’ll help you,” she said in a small voice.

“Huh?”

“I’ll help you get your revenge. I’ll help you do anything you want. I’ll help you be happy,” Bellatrix said as her voice got stronger. “I’ll help you get your son back. I’ll help you kill the Snow Flake, I’ll do anything!” Her eyes were wide. Regina was surprised at the outburst but gave her a little smile.

“I’d love that.” She knew what Bella needed to hear for now, knew that she needed a cause, something to devote herself to.

Bellatrix got up wiping the tears off her face. She saw an awkward looking Cora standing there with the dagger in her hand. Regina stood up beside her.

“Now that that’s all done, would you like to eat something now? We still have some time before Gold comes back to Storybrooke,” she said.

Bella nodded, feeling hungry after her meltdown. They all sat down and ate whatever food the two brought with them.

“Where’s my wand?” she asked looking around. She gasped as she saw it in two pieces on the floor. “You, you broke my wand?!” she screeched at Cora. Her fists were clenched with her nails digging into the skin of her palms.

There was so much rage and loss within her. Suddenly there was a rush of magic and the glass of the mirror broke. She jumped, startled. She hadn’t experienced accidental magic since Hogwarts.

Regina looked at her. “Well that’s an interesting development.”

“He’s back in Storybrooke,” Cora stated, feeling the pull of the dagger to its owner.

“Looks like we have to go. You coming?”

“Like I said earlier, pet, anything.”

* * *

“They’re here,” David announced.  
  
The trio stood outside in front of the Pawnshop, all regal in their own right.  
  
Knowing a protection spell had been placed on the shop, Regina and Cora formed a giant fireball and shot it at the door. In an instant the magic protecting it fizzled out. The door was blown in, making the doorbell chime. _Nice touch._  
  
“Regina, think about what you’re doing!” Emma pleaded as they walked inside.  
  
“Don’t talk to me,” she bit back as Bellatrix growled slightly.  
  
Both sides stood still, each one waiting to see who made the first move.  
  
Regina started, aiming a fireball at Emma. David pushed her out of the way, deflecting the flame off his sword. Grabbing him with her magic, Regina yeeted him out the front door, shutting it behind him.  
  
“David!” Emma exclaimed amid the battle.  
  
Cora threw Emma back with her magic, causing her to crash painfully against one of the display cases. Neal stepped forward top swing his cutlass at Cora but before it could make any contact, she poofed out of the way. However she dropped the dagger in the process.  
  
Regina came up to Emma and caught her in a choke hold. _They got this,_ Bellatrix thought. Hearing the dagger as it dropped, Regina whipped her head around to check on how her mother was doing. Taking advantage of her distraction, Emma got a hold of a pair of scissors and held it up to Regina’s neck. _Or maybe not._  
  
Cora looked down at the blade and then to her daughter.  
  
“What’s it gonna be?” Neal asked, sword still pointing at her.  
  
“Mother!” Regina cried out nervously.  
  
“Choose wisely,” he taunted.  
  
Cora made her choice. She summoned the dagger to her hand. Taking this as her cue, Emma threw Regina into Bellatrix who ended up hitting Cora. Before she did however, Bellatrix managed to loose one of her new knives at her.  
  
“Ah! Fall back to Gold. I have the chalk,” Emma yelled at Neal. She grit her teeth against the pain in her arm and drew another protection line with the chalk.  
  
Slightly dazed the women left behind stood up.  
  
“Hah. I got the blonde bitch,” Bellatrix cackled.  
  
Cora turned to her daughter. “Help me take out Rumplestiltskin and then we’ll go back...” she faltered.  
  
“Mother what is it?” Regina asked as her voice slightly broke.  
  
Breathing heavily, Cora managed to get out, “My... My heart. It’s with my things in your vault. Someone’s there.” She gasped.  
  
“Mother?” she asked hesitantly.  
  
“Go.” She doesn’t move. “Go!” Then Regina scurried away to go to the vault.  
  
Facing the protected doorway Cora sneered. “Really Rumple, hiding’s beneath you.”  
  
Using her magic, she tried breaking the protection.  
  


Bellatrix, feeling a bit useless without her wand, gave a go at stabbing the doorway with one of the knives. It seemed to help somewhat, but not much.

* * *

Regina ran down into her vault, searching for her mother’s heart. She rounded the corner and jumped when she came to face Snow.

“You have no right to be here,” she spat angrily. Then she noticed the box in her hand, “And you have no right to _that_!”

Snow paused. “I was going to give it to you.”

“What?” Regina was confused.

“She can’t love you, you know. She doesn’t have her heart. With it, maybe she can. That’s why you’ve never felt she loved you. She doesn’t have her heart. But I do.” Yes, she could see that.

“You’re doing this for me?” she asked apprehensively.

Smiling at her, Snow said “Think about it. What would happen if Cora had her heart back, back _inside_ her?”

“She told me she took it out to protect her,” Regina reasoned.

“And did it work?” Snow challenged. “The person she was before, do you think that person survived? She can’t love, so she can’t love _you_.”

“She always wanted the best for me.” Her voice broke. “That’s love.”

“Imagine real love,” Snow whispered wistfully. “You’d have a mother and a start on making a family Henry could be a part of...” Snow’s voice then hardened. “Or you could have her be the Dark One.” She held out the box containing the heart. “The choice is yours.”

* * *

Cora looked at the blade. There were only two letters left. Finally she broke through the protection spell as Bellatrix was poking it.

She walked into the back room with Bella following behind her.

Neal and Emma came up to confront her, weapons in hand.

“You two, out of the way,” she commanded as she poofed them into the forest.

“A vision told me about you,” Gold croaked weakly. “Told me this day would come. But it didn’t tell me everything.” He whispered, “Didn’t tell me what I really wanted to know.”

“And what’s that?”

“Did you ever love me?”

Feeling like she was intruding, Bella took to looking around the room. There were lots of objects around and it was really cluttered. _Seriously? No one bothered to clean up around here?_

“Why did you think I had to rip my own heart out? You were my weakness.” She sat down beside him.  
“You are the only man I ever truly loved.”

Cora stood up, her arm raised with knife in hand ready for the final blow. Suddenly, her spine arched back. Regina had returned and replaced her heart back to where it belonged. Bellatrix moved closer to the pair, catching the dagger as it tumbled out of Cora’s hand.

She turned around to look at Regina as feelings came flooding back to her. Finally feeling the love she had for her daughter after so many years, tears of joy welled up in her eyes. They laughed happily at each other.

Seeing the visible change in her Mother’s demeanour, Regina beamed at her. “Mother.”

They shared another giggle when Cora faltered. _Something isn’t right._ Feeling an intense pain on the right side her chest, she moved the lapel of the coat she was wearing to the side.

There was a deep wound. Bellatrix moved towards her as she fell, but Regina was faster in catching her.

“Mother? Oh! Mother? What’s wrong?” she exclaimed worriedly as she cradled her mother’s body.

Cora tried to answer, but all that was coming out of her mouth were ragged breaths. “This... would’ve been enough.” She faced Regina. “You, you would have been enough.”

She grew weaker at that. Then, she stopped moving.

“Mother.” Regina turned to see Gold back up on his feet. “What’s going on?” She turned back to Cora in her arms. “Mother? Don’t leave me please,” she begged. Bellatrix’s heart broke when she heard the pain in her voice. “What am I gonna do?” Regina sobbed, still clutching onto her mother’s cooling body.

“Your mother did you no favours,” Gold said ‘consolingly’.

“Shut up!” Regina yelled with conviction. “You stole her life! You cast some spell.” As she spoke her voice got smaller.

“I did nothing.”

Regina realised what he’s talking about. Snow was the only one in contact with the heart apart from her.

Bellatrix however thought differently. _It doesn’t matter. He still gets to live while Cora has just died in her daughter’s arms. He still gets to live like that brat did while Cora was dead, as dead as my master._ Her hand gripped the dagger in her left hand so hard her knuckles turned white.

She roared at the loss of her master, her cause, the woman she was starting to get to know, her only friend in this world’s loss. In a fit of rage she swung around and plunged the blade into Rumple’s chest. As Gold looked into her onyx eyes, all he could see was the madness within.

With perfect timing, Snow ran into the back of the Pawnshop, David at her heels, distracting Regina from what was going on behind her. “Regina! Stop!” she screamed then looked in horror at Cora’s limp body in Regina’s arms.

Giving her a death glare, Regina growled with distain. “ _You_ did this.”

Right behind her there was a large plume of black smoke enveloping Bellatrix. It stemmed from the wound in Gold’s chest as it crawled along the blade embedded into it. It kept coming forward. Soon, she was totally consumed by it.

Once she was able to as the smoke, Bellatrix pulled the dagger out of the corpse roughly. There, written plainly on the blade as blood dripped off it, was a name.

_Bellatrix Black_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know she doesn’t end up in the Enchanted Forest and stuff but I was going off of when Rumplestiltskin became the Dark One. The smoke thing was added for dramatic effect but yeah. When Rumple turned he just stayed where he was but grew lizard skin. He never reincarnated at the Dark One’s Vault (except when he came back from the dead but that ain’t happening)! SO, my reasoning is that she stays in Storybrooke for her transformation. She gonna sparkle like Edward in the sun!
> 
> Also to add in. Ughhhhh. I was waiting so long for that setup to end! I really wanted a Dark One Bellatrix but I had to manipulate it in a way that she breaks her wand, finds out about Voldemort, discovers she has Enchanted Forest style of magic potential all before this last scene and boy can I say, I am relieved! Dang that was long winded. 
> 
> I couldn’t resist putting in that yeet in earlier. There was just so much yeeting going around! XD  
> I just called it the Miller’s Daughter because that’s where the majority of the dialogue came from it along with a lack of creativity by me. Plus I didn’t want to spoil the ending of the chapter with its title. 
> 
> Honestly the way Bellatrix was stabbing the protection spell it reminded me of how little children would dig at the sand on a beach or something uwu .XD
> 
> Sorry to the Potterheads who aren’t also Oncers, it’s mainly OUAT plot, I just added my favourite witch in but hey! When you come across HP references they could be like Easter eggs! XD 
> 
> I also apologise, sole Potterheads, if there are some plot holes and such in this. In the OUAT series they have all of these flashbacks and different perspectives but I don’t really want to write out the whole episode so yeah. I’m basically giving you guys Regina’s POV in this whole thing. XP
> 
> I’m guessing the next chapter will be pretty chaotic, but I don’t know right now, because I haven’t started it yet. 
> 
> Anyhoo, Hope to see you again soon. Feel free to leave a comment and that’s all for now folks!


	9. Troubling Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, glad to see you back. Hope you enjoy.

“Hey, Regina, let’s go,” Bellatrix said softly, glaring at the two idiots. Waving her hand she transported them into Regina’s vault.

Snow and Charming were left shocked. 

They looked at the corpse of Rumplestiltskin, couldn’t believe he was dead. 

“How did we not notice it?” Snow asked turning to David, her eyes teary.

“I noticed her alright. I think you were more shocked about Cora,” David told her consolingly. “C’mon, we’ll get you home.”

The drive back to the loft was quiet. Snow was sniffling in the passenger seat as David drove. It wasn’t long before they arrived back home. 

Once he pulled up to the building, David helped Snow get out of the car. She was much more passive now as if she wasn’t fully present. 

They made their way up to the loft. Once they were inside Snow shook off her coat, took off her shoes and went to bed straight away. David got himself ready for bed. Henry and Emma were already back from school. It was getting late. Soon the Charming household were fast asleep.

* * *

Bellatrix and Regina appeared in the same place of the vault they first met. Regina still held onto her mother’s body.

“Regina, pet? How about this. We get her cleaned and all dressed up and then we’ll give her a proper send off right?” Bellatrix suggested.

The mourning Mills nodded the glistening tear tracks still visible on her face. “Hey, look at me.” Regina looked up at her. “Everything will be alright.”  
“Are you sure about that dearie?” Rumplestiltskin giggled.

Bellatrix’s head snapped to the side, searching for the source of the voice. Beside one of the many mirrors lining the room stood an interesting person.

He had reptilian-like eyes and skin. His hair was almost shoulder length and stringy. He wore a heavy looking cloak made out of rich red fabric along with a pair of what looked to be leather trousers. 

Her eyes widened. There was something familiar about him.

Deciding to ignore him for a moment, she turned back to the former queen. She shook her head to indicate that nothing was amiss. Then she proceeded to summon a tomb large enough to hold a body in for Cora.

Gently, she levitated the corpse into it as Regina clung onto her. Closing the lid on the stone coffin, Bellatrix turned to hug her. “Would you like to say a few words?” she asked. 

“No,” she said as she shook her head, her voice muffled by the witch’s thick, curly hair. “I already said what I wanted twenty nine years ago. Just, keep holding me, please.”

They stayed in that position for what felt like hours. Before long, Regina fell asleep in the Dark One’s arms. 

Bellatrix brought her to the bed in the vault and laid her down on it. She changed her clothes into nightwear with a flick of her wrist then proceeded to tuck her in. Not wanting to disturb her, Bella wrote a note telling her that she was going to be on the couch. 

This reminded her of the times when she was looking after Cissy and Dromeda.

The Dark One made her way to the couch then attempted to fall asleep. Attempted.

“Having trouble sleeping dearie?” Rumplestiltskin asked, ending in his customary giggle.

Bellatrix flipped over on the piece of furniture she lay on to give him a glare. “Who are you and what do you know of it?”

“Rumplestiltskin,” he said with a flourish and a bow. “There’s a little thing you should know dearie, Dark Ones don’t sleep. As they say; No rest for the wicked!”

“And what am I to do during this free time I have now?” she asked as she sat upright.

“Well it’s quite simple dearie, get a hobby. Personally, I used to spin straw into gold in my time as Dark One.”

“So you’re the man I killed. I knew you seemed familiar,” she said cocking her head to the side.

Laughing he said “Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Took you long enough to figure it out. I didn’t exactly appreciate you ignoring me earlier. We missed an opportunity to chat.”

“I’m used to ignoring the voices in my head, well, the ones that don’t exactly belong to me. I’m mad enough without you up here.” She tapped her head. “So, why are you here? I’m assuming I’m the only one who can see you since Regina showed no signs than she knew you were there.”

“Well dearie, I am the Dark One guide inside your head! I teach you how to be the best Dark One you can be. Once you fully embrace the darkness I’ll disappear from your mind. I suppose you have already dabbled with dark power...”

“I thought I was dark enough. Cora showed me my heart. I was almost as black as my name. That was before I became the Dark One. So what does this mean for me if you’re still here? I basically embraced the darkness since I was seventeen.” 

“Alas, that was different now you need to embrace this darkness,” Rumple explained. “You haven’t done anything yet with this new power you recently acquired. So, surprise I’m still here,” he said with a flourish of his hands.

“Would you teach me?”

“Teach you what dearie?”

“To properly control this magic. I was chaotic enough but at least there was some sort of structure and form in the magic I used in my own world. This seems to be on a whole other level of chaos.”

“Well that’s my job; teaching you to be the Dark One. In this world, magic is all about emotion. Dark magic in particular is fuelled by anger, hatred, blood lust and in some cases, madness. From what I know of you, which is practically everything, you have plenty of those emotions.” He saw the confusion written across her face. “I’m in your head dearie! Have you forgotten that so soon?”

The two Dark Ones talked late into the night. He taught her the basics of intention with magic. She caught on very quickly. The time seemed to drag on. Eventually morning came. Bellatrix stopped talking to Rumple once she heard Regina rousing from her sleep.

She walked to the bedroom. On the way she conjured a breakfast tray with a hearty meal on it. As she entered she saw Regina reading the note she had left last night.

“Morning pet,” she greeted.

“Hey.” When the smell of food hit her she looked up in surprise. “You made me breakfast?”

“Yes, I figured you might have liked something to eat.” Bellatrix unfolded the legs of the tray and set it over Regina’s legs. 

“Thank you.” Regina ate the food delicately. “Are you having anything?” 

“No, I had something earlier. How was your sleep?”

“Good enough, considering what happened…” she trailed off losing herself in thought. “How was your sleep last night? I hope your back hasn’t given up on you after sleeping on the couch,” she attempted to joke.

“Actually, I didn’t sleep at all. Apparently, Dark Ones don’t sleep.”

“Dark Ones don’t… You killed Gold after that?”

“I got angry. I had the dagger and before I knew it the blade was in his chest. I only gave him one wound. I would’ve given him more if I could have. It was almost like it got stuck inside, I couldn’t move it.”

“What happened after that?”

“He died and then this black smoky stuff came out from the cut and it wrapped around me. I presume that was the darkness he kept talking about?”

“Who?”

“Rumplestiltskin. He’s up here. I can see him. He talks to me, but he’s not the only one up here,” she giggled similar to the imp. “He said I need to get a hobby and also that to get him out of my head I have to embrace the darkness,” she said rolling her rs as she did the hand flourishing thing.

“Glad to see you were listening,” Rumple’s voice echoed in her head.

“To get the guy out, I gotta do something dark with this magic I’ve got. So, what do you wanna do about your Snow problem?” Bellatrix asked eagerly.

“I have an idea but I need to find it.”

“It?”

“A curse.”

“Ooo, what does it do? Hm?” She went up on the bed and laid onto her stomach. Her arms held up her head, her hands resting on each side of her face while her legs were swinging behind her; like a teenage girl at a sleepover. 

“It will get me my son and it will get my revenge on Mary Margaret. It’s called the curse of the Empty-Hearted. Henry will love me again. To enact it, I’ll need the heart of the one I hate the most,” she explained.

“Wonderful, this way you can have everything!” she laughed as she clapped her hands together.

Finding her humour infectious, Regina smiled out a small chuckle. Soon they were in fits of laughter. Neither woman realised Bellatrix was emitting an empathic type of magic making Regina’s mood mirror hers. Rumple however was smirking in the corner of the room.

* * *

_**The Loft**_  
Emma and Henry sat at the counter eating breakfast; extremely “healthy” cereal. David came back towards them with a plate of food in his hand.

“Anything?” Emma asked looking concerned.

“She won’t eat a bite,” David sighed as he put down the plate of food he had made for Snow earlier.  
Wondering what was going on Henry questioned

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing. She’s just a little... sick,” she reassured him as she gives a look to David.

Not missing the look, Henry said “You guys are lying to me, aren’t you?” 

“No one’s lying,” she tried to convince him. 

He wasn’t having any of it. “You are, just like you did about my dad.”

“Henry, I...” Emma tried to lace her hand on Henry’s shoulder but he just shrugged her off. She winced at the pain in her arm from the previous battle.

Not being able to stand the rejection, she looked up at David. “He’s right. No more lying.”

“Emma...”

“He deserves to know,” she said as she turned to her son. “Here’s the thing, Henry. Cora’s death... Mary Margaret was partially responsible... of it and that’s why she’s so upset.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “No. No, no, she couldn’t.”

“She was trying to protect us,” she told him softly.

“But she’s Snow White. She wouldn’t hurt anybody.” He was totally in denial.

“Oh Henry, Henry, Henry. I see you haven’t realised the world isn’t so black and white,” Bellatrix cooed as she appeared in front of the door.

Hearing the voice Emma leapt up from her seat to stand in front of Henry. “Who the hell are you?”

“Who the hell indeed,” she smiled, cocking her head to the side. Then she bowed with a flourish. “Bellatrix Black, successor of Rumplestiltskin.”

“Bellatrix Black? As in Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter?” Emma questioned. “You’re real too?”

She hissed when she hear her enemy’s name. “Don’t you talk to me about that brat.”

“Grandpa Gold is dead?” Henry asked looking up at his mother, eyes wide.

“Oh, did mummy not tell you?” Bella voiced with fake concern, pouting her lips. “He died yesterday a few moments after your grandmother Cora left the living.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “You never told me Grandpa was dead?” Tears formed in eyes as his voice cracked.

“Henry, I...”

“I can’t believe you! How could you not tell me? You’re just as bad as her!” he yelled.

Emma glared at Bellatrix. “Oops, was that supposed to be a secret? What a shame. At least it was about someone who’s dead and doesn’t lead to someone’s death,” she said as she looked over at Snow’s unmoving body.

“It’s all up in here. He’s told me everything. I know everything about you, about Henry, Snow and David. All of his memories are mine for now, until he disappears...” 

“Get out,” Emma demanded.

“Alright. But just before I go, she’s planning something and it involves the little Snow Flake,” she giggled.

“Wait!” David shouted as he grabbed her arm. “You can’t just drop a bomb on us like that. You need to do something about it!”

“Do I really?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. Before he got the chance to say anything else, she vanished in a pillar of black smoke.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, ok. I know that was a pretty lame chapter. I didn’t know really what to write so this bs came to be. Oof.  
> Anyhoo, this was basically a filler/transition chapter sooo, hopefully the next one will be better. Writer’s block is a bitch...  
> So, thanks for reading if you got this far :)  
> -Snowy


	10. Well, Well, Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry almost blows himself up... need I say more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey... How y'all doing?

By the time Bellatrix came back to the vault, she found it in such disarray it was like a bomb went off. Clothes were strewn everywhere, there were boxes all over the ground, vials were scattered about and some of the furniture was knocked down.

“Regina?” she called out, searching the rooms, including the hidden ones. She ran throughout the vault to find her.

Regina wasn’t there...

* * *

When Bellatrix left the vault, Regina felt a wave of sorrow encompass her. It felt as if a weight was crushing her chest. The jubilation she felt when she was around her had totally fizzled out, leaving her hollow and empty inside, yet it felt like she would burst at the same time.

Regina crumpled onto the ground, her breathing shallow. Clutching her chest she let out a wail. She had no idea what had come over her. She was fine just a few minutes ago. Her body shook as she lay on the floor of her vault.

Suddenly she remembered what she was going to look for. Desperately she tore through all of her mother’s things. She had to find that curse. Finally she came upon it at she ripped one of Cora’s blue dresses form the Enchanted Forest. She read it, relieved she found it. Then she went over to her ingredient chest and collected the vials needed for it.

A sad smile split across her face. Then she went on a little trip to the Charmings.

* * *

“One of us should stay with her,” Emma suggested once Bellatrix left.

“Obviously, we’re hardly going to go and leave her here on her own,” David snapped. “I’ll stay with her.”

“No, I can do it!” Henry butted in.

Emma wasn’t having it. “No way, kid. You have to go to school.” Henry pouted as he crossed his arms.

“Speaking of school, we gotta get going.”

The two of them left as David stayed behind. Once they were gone, he laid beside Mary Margaret and wrapped his arms around her. _It’ll get better_ he thought as he drifted to sleep.

He woke up as he felt movement beside him. Mary Margaret was sitting up with her knees between her arms.

“Hey, do you want anything to eat?”

She shook her head.

Suddenly he heard the door opening. He jumped up to get his sword and went into a defensive stance. Regina walked into the loft seeing Mary Margaret curled up on the bed with her Prince pointing a sword at herself.

“Leave now,” he demanded.

“Oh really? Why should I?”

“Henry would never forgive this.”

“He will, with time. I’ll see to it. Move out of the way shepherd.”

“No.”

As Regina went to toss him to the side with her magic, a plume of black smoke appeared.

“There you are! I was wondering where you ran off to,” Bellatrix exclaimed. She went up to Regina and whispered in her ear. “Don’t do this now. You’ll get another chance. Trust me on this, when you do, it’ll be even better.”

“How do you know?” she whispered back.

“I’m the Dark One. I can see into the future like the imp could,” she giggled.

Regina smirked to herself and leaned to the side to be in Mary Margaret’s line of sight. “They can’t be your guard dogs forever.” She then tuned around with Bellatrix following close behind.

It wasn’t long before they got to Regina’s car. As soon as the both of them sat in the phone started ringing.

“Hello?” she asked once she had answered.

“Hi is this Henry’s mother?” a male voice inquired.

She couldn’t recognise the voice.

“My name is Greg Mendell.”

“Who?”

“The guy that crashed his car outside of town,” Greg explained. “See, I-I was out here hiking on the woods and… he was by the white pine trail and he was all by himself.”

“Well, what’s he doing there? Is he okay?”

“I-I don’t know. He ran off, but he—he seemed a little upset, and I-I just thought that you would want to know. That’s… all.”

“I’m on my way,” she said as she hung up. “Well, it looks like we’re taking a little trip to the forest.”

* * *

Both of them raced through the forest looking for the young Mills. When he was in their line of sight they slowed to a walk. Henry was found at a well trying to ignite a bundle of dynamite with some matches. Bellatrix may not have been fully caught up on muggle weaponry but she knew this didn’t look good.

“Henry? What are you doing?” Regina yelled as they approached him with their hands in the air in a non-threatening manner.

“I’m getting rid of magic!” he said as he held up the dynamite. “I-it’s ruining everything and you can’t stop me.”

Knowing this would end badly, Regina told him “All that’s going to do is get you killed.”

“You just say that because you need magic so you can cast that curse on me,” he shouted. He turned back to the dynamite and struck a match. Before he could light the fuse, the whole bundle disappeared in a purple plume of smoke. Slightly stunned he dropped the match he was holding.

“I can’t lose you Henry,” Regina said as she stepped closer to him. “You mean too much to me.”

“Then don’t cast the curse,” he pleaded. “Don’t kill Mary Margaret.”

Regina’s voice rose. “Henry, she has to pay.”

“That she does,” Bellatrix said under her breath.

“The curse – it won’t make me love you for real. It’ll be fake.”

Regina pulled out the scroll containing the curse. “But it will be something. I know it’s hard for you to understand right now, but you’ll see. We can be happy. We can have everything.” There was so much hope in her voice. That hope was instantly shattered with three words.

“Not like this.”

She was brought back to the time right after she had cast the Dark Curse. Owen. The little boy she wanted to stay with her. At first when she came across him and her father she was very hostile towards them. She didn’t know them, they weren’t part of her curse. She hated surprises. Little did she know, she would get very attached to that young boy.

The moment broke as Emma, Neal and David came barrelling in.

“Hey, Regina! Get away from my son!”

Regina’s head snapped around to face Swan. “He’s not yours he’s mine! And after I cast this curse you’ll never see him again!”

“That’s never gonna happen!” David yelled. They figured Mary Margaret would be safe once Regina left the first time.

“You wanna kill Mary Margaret, you’re gonna have to go through us!”

“Okay,” Regina said unbothered. She conjured a bright red fireball as Bellatrix formed knives. Seeing the immediate danger, David took the safety off his gun and pointed it at Regina. As she witnessed all of this unfolding, Henry ran in between the groups.

“Stop!”

“Henry get out of the way!” Neal shouted in alarm.

“Not until someone helps me destroy magic!”

“There’s no way to get rid of it. You can’t just blow it up!” Regina exclaimed as Bellatrix huffed “Are you actually stupid boy?” That remark earned her a glare from both of his mothers.

Emma looked almost scared to get to close to him so she stayed behind Neal as she held out her hand to Henry. “Magic isn’t the problem, kid. It’s her.”

“It’s not just her. It’s everyone. Look at what magic did to Mary Margaret.” He turned to Regina. “Look at what it did to _you_. It’s ruining everything. It makes good people terrible things.”

“And bad people,” Emma said as she was still in that awkward position behind Neal. (A.N. Make up your mind woman. Do you want to grab him or not? UGHHHHHHHH)

“Please,” he begged. It’s gonna destroy my family. Help me get rid of it.”

“I can’t do that Henry,” Regina stated somberly. “But there is something I _can_ do.” She looked longingly at the scroll in her hand. Then she proceeded to drop it into the ball of fire in her other hand.

“Thank you,” he said gratefully. Henry turned away and left with the Charming clan.

Bellatrix walked over to Regina and caught her in a hug. “You’ll get your chance. It’ll be worth it.” Regina crumpled in her arms. “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy, we’re at double digits! Woooo XD.  
> Sorry it took me a while, it took some time to get into the groove of writing again. Hope you guys enjoyed! :)  
> Feel free to leave a comment, it’s always appreciated. :D Hope to see you again next chapter!  
> \--Snowy


	11. Blackened Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much Bellatrix being insomniac now, Snow shows up and there's a small surprise at the end that might not actually be a surprise but yeah. XP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

Regina and Bellatrix reappeared at the mansion. Once again Bellatrix tucked the queen into bed, seeing how exhausted she seemed.

_Now, what am I going to do now that I don’t have to sleep?_

She browsed through bookshelves in Henry’s room. She came across a lot of comic books depicting Superheroes and Villains. Taking an interest in them she admired all of the weaponry. _Hmm. Maybe I could do something like this._

She thought back to when she was younger, a few months before she had joined her Lord. At Hogwarts, despite History of Magic being quite a boring class, she became fascinated with the weapons used during the goblin wars and rebellions. Doing more research of her own as she snuck around the library she had discovered a book in the restricted section filled with weapons of war.

Bellatrix admired the illustrations of the ornate battle axes, sword and daggers used by the goblin soldiers. Gems were embedded in the goblin steel as the metal itself was moulded with intricate patterns and designs. She loved the sheer brutality of war, especially with weapons like those. As much as she liked flinging spells around, there was an air of grace with throwing knives with deadly precision. She missed the dagger she had lost at Malfoy Manor. At least she got a last hit with it.

Suddenly she was assaulted with visions. Images blurred inside her mind. With her eyes rolling to the back of her head she collapsed, writhing on the floor. She saw the future generations with better technology and a broad network connecting the majority of the world.

As the seizing came to an end there was one vivid motion continuing to play out in her head. There was someone with a bottle of sorts. It looked like they were throwing the item down a flight of stairs as they yelled something. It sounded like… yeet.

_What the hell is yeet?_

She shook her head, getting rid of the image, utterly confused. _Ugh, muggles._

The Dark One gathered her bearings after her episode. What was she doing? Oh, yes, of course. Weapons.

Her fists clenched at the thought of her broken wand. Despite it not being the one from her childhood, it was one of the only things she had from her own world. _Wait. What if there were magical communities in this world? What if she had simply time travelled? The wizarding world could still exist here._

She bit her lip. Her hand twitched at her side as she contemplated. Should she stay or should she go? Feeling a pang in her chest she fought with herself. She wouldn’t leave forever, but Regina still needed her now.

She chose to wait for Regina. In the meantime, Bellatrix expanded the guest bedroom. By the time she had finished elongating the room it resembled a shooting range. Conjuring a set of knives, she threw them at a target that materialised at the end of the room. Bullseye.

Bellatrix continued the exercise alternating between letting the blades spin and balancing the blade in her hand to shoot it like an arrow. As she did this, she couldn’t help but think about the vision she saw. One word was stuck in her brain; yeet. Then it clicked. She smirked, _so that’s what yeet is_.

Getting bored with the knives, she moved onto a larger weapon. She had always wondered what it was like to throw a sword. Summoning an iron sword, she tested the weight of it. Pondering for a moment whether to let it spin or throw it like a spear, she decided the latter would suit better. Surprisingly, she was able to lodge it deep into the target.

Then she proceeded to hurl axes at the targets while simultaneously vanishing the previous weapons thrown at it.

Once target practice was completed she moved onto melee. With her new status as the Dark One she barely broke a sweat. Summoning a scythe along with dozens of dummies, she made them move with magic.

She sliced the dummies into pieces as she twirled the deadly weapon.

There was a sound at the door as she was destroying the dummies. She whirled the scythe around. Then blade stopped an inch before it could hit Regina’s neck.

Bellatrix blinked at her a few times then pulled back the blade and held onto the shaft of the scythe. “Hello.”

Regina was still in slight shock. Startled, she took a step back.

“Sorry about that,” Bellatrix apologised, scratching her head.

“No, no it’s fine. I-I uh, should have knocked first.”

“I must have lost track of time.”

“Mmm.”

“You alright?”

“Mhm, mhm,” Regina nodded. “Breakfast?”

“Sure.”

After Regina got dressed, they ate their breakfast in silence. Soon it was broken by Bellatrix.

“Regina?”

“Yes dear?” Regina said as she tilted her head to the side.

Bellatrix chewed on the side of her bottom lip. She clasped her hands together and fidgeted with her sleeves. “I just wanted to say, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but I’ve been thinking.” She saw the worried look on Regina’s face. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not going to leave forever just for a few days.”

“Hold on a minute. What’s this about leaving?”

“I think there might be a possibility that there are still magical people in this world.” Regina attempted to interrupt her. “Wait, I know that this is known as the Land Without Magic, but hear me out. If there is magic here, surely this isn’t the only place. I’ll only be gone for a few days.”

“Where are you planning on going?”

“London.”

Regina nodded her head slowly, taking in the information. “Okay, that’s fine. Do what you need to do. I’m sure I’ll be fine here.”

Sensing that she was upset, Bellatrix embraced her into a hug. “It’ll only be a few days,” she whispered. They stayed in that position for a few moments until there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get that,” Regina said as she walked to the front door. To her surprise she was met with a distressed Snow.

“You,” she exhaled.

“Kill me,” Snow requested.

Regina scoffed at her. “What?”

“Regina, we have been fighting for so long. It’s cost us so much,” Snow explained. “It has to end before anyone else dies.” She started whispering. “So please… just do it.”

“Henry would never forgive me,” she started. “But do you know what my problem is?” she laughed as she leaned closer to her step daughter. “I never learn from my mistakes.” With that she plunged her hand into Snow’s chest.

Snow doubled over in pain, gasping. Regina held the heart in her hand, examining the glowing organ. “Huh.”

“What?” Snow panted as if she had run a mile.

“Do you see that?” she asked as she turned the heart over in her hand to show it to Snow. There in the middle of an abundance of red lay a speck of black.

Her voice was strained. “What did you do to it?”

“Oh, I didn’t do that.” Regina said with a straight face. “You did.” Snow gasped when she heard. “You darkened yourself.”

“No. No, no.” Snow cried. Tears began to stream down her face.

“Yes,” she stated sombrely. “And once you blacken your heart it only grows darker… and darker. Trust me I know.”

“So crush it. Do it. _Crush it._ Get it over with,” Snow begged aggressively.

“And put you out of your misery?” she said incredulously as her voice slightly cracked. “I don’t need to destroy you, you’re doing it yourself.” Her voice became wistful. “And along the way you’ll bring down that perfect little family you fought so hard to reunite.” Regina seemed to soften up a bit. “And then Henry will be mine.”

“Please,” Snow whispered. “Kill me. _Please_ , just kill me.” She ended up sobbing.

“You see,” she laughed, “I _can_ have everything.” With tears of joy in her eyes she thrust the heart back into the owner’s chest, making them whimper. Then she whispered happily to her. “Thanks to you.”

Looking at the mess in front of her Regina scowled. “Now get off my porch.” Without any other interaction with the woman in front of her house she turned to go inside then slammed the door leaving Snow crumpled on the doorstep.

She beamed at Bellatrix who shared a similar expression of happiness. “Told you it would be worth it,” Bellatrix smiled.

“So you promise me it will only be a few days?”

“I promise.”

“When will you leave?”

“Probably in a few hours. It’s only morning here and it’ll be evening in London around now so I’ll wait until it’s the afternoon over there.”

Regina gave her a hug. She was surprised with herself but still went with it. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered.

“Here,” Bellatrix said, pulling away from the hug. She conjured two identical looking glasses, giving one to Regina. “Say my name into this and I’ll be able to answer with this one.”

Regina smiled at her in thanks. “So what will we do now?”

“Maybe before I leave we could test the magic situation over the town line?”

“Sounds good.”

The two of them transported themselves to the edge of the town limits where the red spray was visible. Bellatrix took a step out. A blue light shimmered over her as she passed. She turned to face Regina and smiled reassuringly at her.

Her memories were fully intact.

Now it was time for the real test. She could feel the depletion of power. From that she could deduce the magic she had as the Dark One didn’t work on the outside. However, there was still a familiar surge of magic.

Since Dark One magic was out of the question, Bellatrix tried apparating wandlessly. She travelled a couple of metres to the side. She beamed as she realised it worked, but, overseas apparition was risky.

So, next option. There was no way to create a Portkey overseas. Even that was stretching her magical boundaries _with_ a wand. The only way she could think of travelling in that moment was in smoke.

Closing her eyes, she imagined her body becoming translucent and airy. After a moment she was flying in a black stream of smoke. She dodged between trees in the forest around her, avoiding the small branches.

Regina watched amazed by the display of magic outside of the town.

Bellatrix turned around and made her way back to Regina.

“I won’t be able to apparate to London from here. It would be too risky and judging by the speed of the smoke as well as my visibility it would take me much longer to arrive there. I’ll have to go now.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Regina said with a sad smile. Bellatrix pulled her into another hug.

“I’ll miss you too,” she whispered in her ear.

And with that, Bellatrix left in a cloud of black smoke. Regina followed her with her eyes until she disappeared beyond the horizon. Once she was gone, Regina transported herself home in a purple cloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe. Yeet. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed. :D
> 
> -Snowy


	12. Familiar Places and Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix goes to London and some other stuff happens in Storybrooke.

David made breakfast for Mary Margaret once again. As he went to bring it over to her Emma commented on his actions. “Breakfast in bed? Seriously?”

He sighed. “What happened has been really hard on Mary Margaret. The least we can do is make sure she’s eating.”

“I think it’s time to give the hot cocoa and the foot massages a rest,” Emma sassed. “It’s time to haul her ass out of bed and get her to move past this.”

“That’s a little harsh don’t you think? She took Cora’s life.” David’s voice lowered. Hearing the voices in the kitchen, Henry came down the stairs. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine kind,” said Emma reassuringly. “Get your coat. We’re gonna be late.”

Beaming up at her, he didn’t look back as he went out the door. “Bye gramps,” he called out after himself.

Emma turned towards David. “I know you think that she needs our help, but at the end of the day, she’s the only one who can help herself.” David nodded at that as Emma left.

Without him noticing, Snow had gotten up and started preparing some food for herself at the worktop. “Good morning.”

Hearing her voice, David whipped around. “Hey. Morning. I made you some eggs, but if you’re craving something else we can go to Granny’s.” He noticed her packing. “Unless you have other plans.”

“I thought I’d head out to the woods, actually. I need to think things through.”

“Let me come with you,” he insisted eagerly.

She sighed. “David... I need to do this alone and you have things to do. I know you’ve been looking forward to working in the bean field.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, Anton says we might have a crop soon. And once we do we can go home. And none of what happened will matter. It will all be in the past.”

“I used Regina to kill her own mother. I don’t think going back will erase that.”

“Mary Margaret...”

“Give me time.”

* * *

Regina materialised back home. She remembered what she was planning to do. She had to find out what that new stranger in town wanted. Thinking it was strange for someone to just _appear_ in town she decided to do some investigating of her own. Granted, Emma Swan appeared but she was there to break the curse. The only reasonable place that a traveller like him would stay was Granny’s.

She walked into the busy establishment, pausing to have a quick word with Ruby about covering Greg’s food bill, then made her way to the man in question.

“I hope you enjoy your pie. It’s on me. I’m Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke. I’m also Henry’s mother.”

“Oh, he—he’s the cute little kid that was wandering through the woods. Right?”

“Yes. I just wanted to thank you for calling me about him,” she said as she took a seat across from him.

“Yeah, no. No sweat. I-I have a soft spot for little kids in trouble.”

Regina examined his features, thinking that she had seen him before. “I’m—I’m fairly certain we haven’t met before, but... you do seem oddly familiar.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible, unless... h-have you spent a lot of time in Carlisle Pennsylvania?” he joked.

Regina laughed at that. “I can’t say I have. Well if there’s anything you need during your stay here... please don’t hesitate to ask.”

She stood up and turned to leave. As she was at the door, it opened to reveal Snow. Taking an opportunity, Regina smirked at her. “If I were you I’d try the fish special. It’s right up your alley...” Pause for effect, “Blackened sole.”

Smiling at the expression across Snow’s face Regina left the diner. Now. Back to the plan.

* * *

Bellatrix cringed at the amount of muggles around her. Of course she was in muggle London, there were bound to be lots of muggles. Doesn’t mean she has to like it. She walked around with a snarl on her face. “This place is filthy,” she mumbled. That comment earned her a few odd looks from the few that heard.

Rolling her eyes she walked to where the Leaky Cauldron would have been in her world. The shop beside it had changed from a record store to a pet shop but the book store had stayed the same albeit with different titles. She walked into the building between unnoticed by the people surrounding her.

To her surprise the frequently busy pub was empty, devoid of any patrons. The place was a mess. Bits of the wooden floor were charred black along with pieces of furniture. _What the hell happened here?_

She went to the back where the wall leading to Diagon Alley stood. It had occurred to her that she might need a wand to enter the alley, however when she got to it, the wall wasn’t there. All that was left of it was a pile of bricks. A sense of dread washed over her. Despite this world not being _her_ world, it still felt as real.

Stepping through the threshold from the wall, Bellatrix inhaled sharply. Most of the buildings had collapsed. Many of them only had the ground floor left partially intact. A stream of heavy black smoke could be seen in the distance. Looked like Gringotts. There was a thin fog of ash and dust hanging around in the air. Coughing slightly she kicked some debris to the side.

It seemed eerily quiet. The only sounds were the occasional falling debris and cracking wood along with Bellatrix’s footsteps. A few flames could be seen in buildings’ upper floors. Wide eyed, she searched for any signs of life. Finding none for the time being she went to what used to be Ollivanders.

As she walked towards the shop she suddenly felt a strong pull towards it. Following that feeling she dodged the door hanging off its hinges to enter. Guided by the pull she went up to the shelves that held the wands. She looked up.

Stacked above her head, a box glowed. She reached up to grab it. Once it was in her hands, the glow faded, retreating into the box. Inside the velvet lined box lay a sleek black and white wand. The majority of the wood was made of the black wood with white swirling details.

Bellatrix took the wand into her hand. The moment she got a good grip on it, she felt a powerful surge of magic charging up her arm. Her whole body vibrated with the energy. Once the surge died down she examined the box the wand was in. A small card was tucked into the velvet lining. It read: Ebony and aspen body, Dragon heartstring core, Thirteen inches.

Suddenly there was a loud roar outside.

* * *

_I know who he is._ Regina remembered why he looked so familiar. The day she cast the cure, the very first day Storybrooke came into existence. Owen.

She doubted that he would have forgotten his time here. In order to find out his true purpose back here, she had to confront him. Where better other than his room at the inn?

“You know, I’m all set on towels... if that’s what you’re here for. I air dry,” Greg called into the room, not realising it was Regina standing there facing her back to him.

“I’m here because I realised why you look so familiar to me.” She turned around to him. “It’s because we _have_ met before, haven’t we? Owen.” Regina pulled out a red and green knot attached to a key ring as Greg smiled at the use of his real name after a long time. “I kept this all these years as a reminder of our time together. You were just a boy when you gave this to me. Now look at you,” she smiled. “All grown up. No wonder I didn’t recognise you.”

She moved to put her hand on his face but Owen jerked away. “Yeah, but I-I recognised _you_ , because you look exactly the same Regina. It’s as if no time has passed for you.”

Looking flattered she brought a hand up to her cheek. “Monthly juice cleanse. Does wonders for the skin. You could’ve come to me, Owen. You could’ve told me who you were and why you’re here.”

“Well, I-I think you know why I’m here.”

“I honestly don’t.” She had an idea but wasn’t entirely sure it was the only thing he was here for.

“I’m looking for my father.”

“Your father? He left shortly after you did. I never saw him again.”

“I don’t believe you.” _Of course he didn’t._

“Be that as it may, it’s the truth.” Well, it was _a_ truth. He did leave, just not in the way she was letting on.

“People don’t just disappear, Regina,” Owen argued, not trusting a word coming out of her mouth.

She spoke to him in a condescending manner. “Scared little boys tend to have overactive imaginations.”

“Well, I’m not a little boy anymore, Madame Mayor. It’s taken me a long time to get back here. I’m not leaving without my father.” He had a tone of finality in his voice.

“I’m afraid you are, because he’s not here,” she said with fake concern. “I’ll let Granny know that you’ll be checking out tomorrow.”

“Or what?”

“Contrary to what you _might_ think, people _can_ just disappear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took longer than usual. Procrastinating and life got in the way. There was a whole load of drama at home with the kittens and yeah. That's it really.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, feel free to leave a comment, would really appreciate it. :)
> 
> -Snowy


	13. Confusing Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix is still in London, Regina still in Storybrooke and a few surprises here and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, how you been? Sorry for the wait but I probably won't be posting frequently, school. Anyhoo, won't keep you long. Hope you guys enjoy :)

The building started to shake. More dust was falling to the ground. Avoiding a wooded beam, Bellatrix turned into the cloud of smoke she used to transport herself to London. Her body formed back in the middle of the Alley. Looking up she saw a giant dragon on top of the bank. _Shit._

Its eyes were blood red, two glowing embers shining through a black, dense fog. Swirling tendrils of smoke and magic surrounded it. Its claws gripped the rubble on the bank tightly as it let out an ear-splitting roar. This caused the ground tremor once again.

 _I better get out of here._ She looked around. No other living thing was in sight apart from the flickering flames and the beast before her.

Suddenly there were loud bangs, like little contained explosions along with strong gusts of winds. Bellatrix ducked her head down, unsure of where it was coming from. The dragon screeched shrilly at such a pitch, it forced Bellatrix to cover her ears.

It let off a stream of blazing fire toward the source of the mini-bombs. There, hovering in the sky was a hunk of metal with deadly looking blades spinning atop of it. Inside the contraption sat a person who seemed to be holding another metal device that shot out smaller metal pieces. Before they could impact the dragon the fire had melted them down.

Not wasting any time, Bellatrix took cloud form and burst through the wall to the Leaky Cauldron. She shook her head in an attempt to comprehend what was happening.

There was no machine like that in the wizarding world. It was muggle. _How in hell did muggles get into Diagon Alley?_ She wondered. It clicked. _The books._

She ran out to the nearest book store like a woman possessed. Searching through the bookshelves she finally found what she was looking for. _Harry Potter._ Flicking to the back of the book she found a picture of the author.

_Rita._

* * *

Regina could not believe what she was seeing; Rumplestiltskin watching Henry and Neal fight with wooden swords. Perplexed, she walked up to him.

“How the _hell_ are you here?” she hissed. “You’re supposed to be _dead_.”

He turned to her, looking at her haughtily. “For your information, Regina, I am very much _not_ alive. I am merely a—an apparition projected from Bella’s mind.” The fake Rumple laughed at her expression. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “She has a plan. Neal would have wanted revenge for his father’s death. Right before she left town, she conjured an image of me, _with_ the previous Rumplestiltskin’s memories. I managed to convince the Charmings that I rose from the dead.”

He faced towards the pair fighting in the distance. “It seems we, you and Rumple, we’re related.”

“What? How?”

“Neal, his son, is also Henry’s biological father.”

“ _You’re_ his _grandfather_?”

“Was,” he corrected.

“Yes, of course.” The shock of the news had frozen her into silence. _Emma never told me._ “It seems like I need to have a chat with a certain Swan.”

* * *

Bellatrix stormed through the streets of London, headed for the nearest Library. With Rumplestiltskin out of her head for now, she was left with the previous Dark One after him; Zoso. As she got in, she confounded the librarian, making her search where “J.K. Rowling” lived. After a few moments, the results popped up. Apparently she had a house in London but lived in a cottage in Edinburgh.

Rushing to a secluded place she had the image of the house found online. With a loud pop, she disappeared.

* * *

Regina came across Emma reading the storybook at the docks. “Reading up on Henry’s father?” She walked up to her and sat on the bench facing her. “Or maybe his grandfather? How long did you think you can keep that from me?”

Emma gave her a side-eye. Well, I was going to tell you but I was kinda busy trying to stop you and your mother from killing me and my entire family.”

“What is he doing here?”

“Neal? Relax. He just wants to spend a little time with his son.”

Regina tilted her head to the side. “Funny he didn’t seem to want to spend time with him the first ten years of his life. But then again, neither did you.”

“You know what Regina?” She turned around to her. “How about instead of worrying about everyone else, you start focus on trying to be the person Henry wants you to be before you lose him for good?”

Not missing that last bit, she demanded, “‘For good?’ What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Unlike you, the rest of the world isn’t always scheming to get what they want.”

“No. You’re hiding something. Well, whatever it is, I can assure you of one thing. I’m going to find out.” She left without another word.

* * *

Bellatrix found herself standing in front of a quaint cottage. There was an array of flowers in hanging baskets and on the windowsills. Deciding to take a different angle to her usual approach, she knocked on the door. It was somewhat gentle but hard enough to be heard clearly.

Waiting outside for a minute, she finally heard footsteps at the other side of the door. It opened.

“Hello, how can I...” the woman who answered trailed off as she realised who was at the door. “Lestrange.”

“It’s Black now.”

Looking side to side for any other people around, the blonde woman pulled the witch inside. Shutting the door behind her she still had a hold of Bellatrix’s arm. She led her to a room off the side and sat her down on a couch.

“What are you doing here?”

Bellatrix ignored her demands. Standing up out of her seat she started browsing through the items in the room, It seemed to be some sort of living space or parlour. A bookshelf spanned from one wall to another with a fire place opposite to it. As she looked through the things she started speaking.

“That was a very risky thing you did.” Moving on from the bookshelf she started fiddling with the objects on the mantel piece. “Exposing the wizarding world, sending muggles in to destroy it. I can only assume you were banished. It’s a wonder that you didn’t get thrown into Azkaban. Lovely descriptions by the way. You really captured the darkness of that place.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.”

“It’s funny how that whole ‘supposed to be dead’ theme is running around,” she chuckled. “But you’ll find that I am very much _alive_. So, tell me, Joanne, or should I say _Rita._ It’s been a long time.”

“No one has called me that in years.”

“I suppose they hadn’t. I’m surprised you took the big risk to tell the muggles about where you came from, despite not making it obvious you were really a part of it.”

“They think it’s only fiction.”

“Exactly. However, how does that explain the flying muggle contraption hovering over Diagon Alley? Hm?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Of course you should know,” Bellatrix said with her voice rising a few octaves. “You know everything Rita. Don’t you?” The wand she had recently acquired had risen up to eye level. “Tell me what happened or I’ll get it out of you anyway.”

Rita was looking scared at this stage. She had never expected to be found out after all this time she got away with it. “I-I...”

“Well, come on, spit it out.”

“I can’t tell”

“Oh fine. I’ll do it myself. _Legilimens_!”

Images flashed by in her mind. It seems that Rita had told the government of their kind, but it was a well kept secret... Knowledge of the anti-muggle movement wormed its way inside making the muggles scared... Muggle Americans flying over in hope to be able to eradicate the English magical folk... Large machines coming towards the Alley... Explosions detonating everywhere... A magic seal; broken... The dragon from the alley escaping causing more damage...

“What in Merlin’s name have you done?!”

* * *

Regina kept an eye on the Charmings, trying to figure out what they were up to. Emma had definitely revealed too much. “Or you’ll lose him for good”. What did she mean by that?

She sat in her car thinking they’ll definitely be dropping by at Granny’s. It’s there go-to place to eat. She perked up when she saw David’s pick-up truck drive in front of the diner. It was full of dwarves, or rather, man-childs as she liked to call them.

The dwarves jumped out from the back of the truck, which was surely illegal with the amount of them in the back. They seemed to be talking about food. Snow and David seemed to decline the offer and drove away home.

Taking the opportunity, Regina got out of the car. She put her hand to the tyre tracks. As she focused on the spell, the road lit up with magic, leading her to where the Charmings were last. Getting back into the car, she followed the glowing path on the road.

The drive only took a few minutes. Soon she was on the outskirts of town before she saw the tracks turn then disappear into a field. Exiting the car, she went into the field. Sensing a powerful glamour, she waves her hand to part it allowing her to see what was hidden.

To her astonishment she saw rows and rows of magic beans. _This is how. They’re going to take Henry away from me!_ She took a few cuttings of the beans. Then, using her rage, she engulfed the field in flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yeah... That's it! 
> 
> I hadn't realized how problematic killing Rumple off would be... I just wanted Dark One Bella uwu. Either way, I think I made a good enough loophole for now. Hehe.
> 
> Hope to metaphorically see you in the next chapter! :)
> 
> -Snowy


	14. All Part of the Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellatrix deals with Rita, more canon stuff happens in Storybrooke and Rumple still seems to be alive for some reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, how y'all doin'? XD

“Actually, I prefer it with the lights on.” The bag that was obscuring Hook’s head was quickly removed. “I’ve spent enough time below deck to not be afraid of the dark, so if this is your idea of torture, well you’re just gonna have to try a little harder,” he drawled.

“Torture you? No, we just wanna offer you a job,” Greg said innocently.

“Oh. And then you’re gonna let me go” Hook laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry, I already did that last job. I killed Rumplestiltskin. I’m sated. Replete. My life’s purpose met.”

“I wish I could have been there, to see you stab the Dark One.” Tamara moved around him, probably too look intimidating but girl, it ain’t working.

“Well look who’s up to speed.”

“I’m a quick learner,” she bragged.

“Then you know my work here is done!” he smiled happily.

“Yeah, I don’t think so. Take a look.” Roughly grabbing the chair Hook was tied to, Greg and Tamara faced him towards the face of the clock. A window pane was opened to allow them to look outside. One of them handed Killian a telescope. Through it, he could clearly see Rumplestiltskin alive and well along with a scantily dressed Belle.

“No, no!”

“He’s alive, Hook,” Tamara said condescendingly.

“He beat you. Now this guy has some powerful magic here, mate,” he said in a cringy imitation of a pirate. “He’s untouchable. You’ll never get another chance to take him down.”

“Oh, I will indeed.”

“Not unless we help you.” She continued her intimidation walk around (which really wasn’t working for her, take a seat).

“How can you help me?”

“We know how to kill magical creatures.” (Again with intimidating walk and voice that don’t work for her).

“And the price?”

“I need you to help me find someone. My father. He was taken in this town a long time ago.”

“Why the bloody hell do you think I’ll be able to help you find your father?”

“Because you know the woman who took him—Regina. Do we have a deal?”

“I haven’t done anything. I simply exposed the world as it is,” Rita said haughtily. Bellatrix glared at her. Before she could say anything else, she felt her pocket heat up.

“Ugh, I don’t have time for this,” she snarled. Hitting the other woman with a stunner, she answered the mirror.

“Bella?” a voice came from the reflective glass.

“Gina?”

Regina rushed through her explanation of why she was calling. All Bella could pick up was ‘Henry’, ‘leaving’, ‘magic beans’ and ‘Swan’.

“Sorry, slow down. What’s this about? Leaving?”

“Yes, leaving. You have to come back as soon as you can. They’re planning on going to the Enchanted Forest either without me or they’re going to lock me up in Rumple’s old cell. Also, while we’re on Rumple, what the hell? Why did you bring him back? I want a real answer. Not the half-assed one fake Gold gave to me.”

“Alright. First of all, the explanation my Rumple gave was perfectly fine. If you need me to elaborate more I’ll tell you in person. Ah, no, no interrupting. I’ll be there as fast as possible. I might be even faster than I was the first time coming here.”

“Well, please hurry. Storybrooke might not be here when you get back. It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too. Now go. There is something I must deal with for the time being. I should be there soon enough.”

The mirror dimmed, showing only her reflection. The next question was how was she going to deal with Rita?

* * *

After finishing her mirror call with Bellatrix, Regina left the field to find Henry. She needed someone else to talk to.

“Good morning, Henry,” she greeted as she walked up to him. She watched as he turned his attention from the bird house to his mother.

“Um, what are you doing here?”“I’ve missed you. And I wanted to show you something.” Coming closer to him, Regina pulled out a clear plastic bag with cuts from the beanstalks in it. “Emma, Mary Margaret and David have been keeping this from you, darling. They’ve been growing magic beans in secret. They want to take you to the Enchanted Forest without me.”

Being the naïve, hopeful child he was, Henry said, “Maybe we’re all going together and they just haven’t told you yet?”

Regina resisted the urge to laugh. “No, they won’t let me help. They don’t see the good in me. The good you’ve seen.” _Better not mention Bella at this point,_ she thought to herself. “All they see is the Evil Queen, which they made me and I don’t want to be that anymore. This is my chance to go back and start over, for me to be the hero. You’d like that, right?”

“I-I’d love it!” he beamed.

“Here’s how it’ll work — there’s a fail-safe built into the curse, a trigger,” she whispered conspiratorially.

Getting excited at the prospect of a new operation he added, “Like a self-destruct button, like you never did it?”

“Yes. It’s the next best thing to turning back time.”

“That’s amazing. What happens to Storybrooke?”

“It disappears. Forever. But no need to worry, dear. We can get away first, back to the Enchanted Forest, using this.”

“But, what about everyone else?”

“They die.”

“What?!” Henry’s jaw dropped.

“I don’t have another choice. As long as there are other people in our lives, you can never fully be mine. You loved me once. With them gone, you’ll love me again. And you can see me for what I really am: a hero.”

“Not if you kill everyone. You’re a villain.” The words cut through her even harder than before but she mustn’t show such weakness in front of her son. Getting upset and frustrated at his inability to see her perspective, her eyes teared up slightly.

“Me? They’re the ones that have been keeping us apart, they’re the villains!” she tried to reason with him.

“How can I ever love anyone who would do such horrible things?” he yelled. “Why are you even telling me this?”

“Because I don’t have anyone else here to talk to.” Her voice shook a little.

“Well I’m gonna stop you,” he announced with determination. His time with the Charmings had become quite apparent.

Rolling her eyes, she took out her mother’s spell book from her handbag, flicking through the pages. “Everything I just said will come to pass.”

“Never! Why would I let you do any of this?”

“Because you won’t remember a thing.” Regina waved her hand over Henry, causing him to forget the whole conversation. She stowed the book away in her bag while wiping away a stray tear.

Henry looked up out of his daze. “Mom. What are you doing here?” he smiled.

Sniffling slightly, she laughed then shrugged. “Just came to say hello. I’ve missed you. Why don’t you show me that bird feeder?” Henry walked over to the feeder and opened the lid. “I’m sure it will make the birds very happy.”

* * *

_Ah, Rita. Rita, Rita, Rita. What am I going to have to do with you?_ Bellatrix pondered as she looked at the other woman’s unconscious form. She knew she didn’t have much time. Storybrooke might not be there if she didn’t hurry up. Tilting her head to the side she aimed her wand at the other witch’s head. “Obliviate.”

A quick, temporary solution. It would have to do for now. They will have to wait. Regina needs her.

She disappeared in the cloud of black smoke to start her journey back to Storybrooke.

* * *

Regina admired the stalk she had cultivated form the bean clippings in her office. She startled as she hear a knock on the door. Moving to the middle of the room to draw attention away from the plant, she straightened herself up. To her surprise, Killian Jones came through the door.

“Captain! You look like you’ve had a rough time.”

“Indeed, I have. I’ve come to ask you for your protection.”

“From Gold? I’m surprised you’d show your face in this town after you noticed your murder didn’t take.”

“Well we’ve bigger problems. That man Greg Mendell, the one who hit me the night I shot Belle, Well he’s in league with some woman. She abducted me in New York and dragged me back to Mendell. They want me to make an alliance with you. That’s why they ;et me go.”

“Mhmm.”

“Well, I say you and I make an alliance, and we’ll skip the unpleasant betrayal business.”

“Why should I trust you?"

“I took up with your mother for a reason. Perhaps the three of us could re-establish in our alliance, with that other lass if you see fit.”

“She’s out of the country and… my mother died.”

“That is sad news indeed. I’m sorry, she will be missed. But I tell you this, Regina. I knew her well enough to know what she wanted most in the world was to see you win. Now I failed in my revenge, the best tribute I could give her is to help you with yours.”

“Well, can I… Let me show you something.” Regina walked back to the glass enclosure that housed the magic beans.

“An escape plan?” Hook looked at them in awe. “She would have loved that. She brought that giant for the beans so she could go back and start over with you.”

“And now I’m going to do that with Henry,” she said with a smile. Her face turned serious. “If you’ll help me. This is how we’re going to escape the total destruction of Storybrooke. If I can _trust_ you.”

“Now when you say total destruction, including the crocodile, yes?”

“Oh, yes. Rumplestiltskin will die. If you help me.”

* * *

A large expanse of blue ocean was all that could be seen as a dark cloud passed over the Atlantic Ocean. Light bounced up from the depths leaving a blinding shine. Shadows of fish schools could be seen under the surface.

Wind blew into her ears as she flew. Forgetting all about her own world, she thought only of the world she wanted to be a part of. She thought of her home, in Storybrooke with her queen and her little prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know it's been a while and it'll probably be another while until the next chapter but I just got a spurt of energy/motivation/whatever you call it today and wrote this bit. I hope you enjoyed, it might be a bit short but oh well.
> 
> Again, fell free to leave any comments or kudos, they are greatly appreciated. :)
> 
> -Snowy


	15. Home Again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've see OUAT, you know what's about to go down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter :)))  
> Just to tell you guys, gals and non-binary pals, there most likely won't be another update soon. School is getting busy and yeah, that's basically my excuse.
> 
> Anyhoo, hope you enjoy! :)

Regina and Hook had arrived at the library without any hassle. Seeing the door of the elevator that led deep into Storybrooke’s honeycomb of tunnels, Hook voiced his curiosity if this was the reason the mission was a two-man job. Rolling her eyes she explained that was how it used to be and then proceeded to operate the lift with magic.

To combat the empty silence between them, Hook decided to become somewhat philosophical on the way down into the mines. “You ever wonder if this constant pursuit of revenge is reason we have no one who cares for us?” Earning a puzzled look he continued. “I mean, when all this is over, and I know the Crocodile is dead, for good and all, I’ll have nothing look forward to. My life will be empty. Revenge may sate your being. But don’t misunderstand me, my dear, it’s an end. Not a beginning.” They came to a brief stop.

“For you, maybe. Not me. I have Henry _and Bellatrix,_ ” she muttered the last bit under her breath. “And destroying Storybrooke?” she looked up at him breaking into a smirk. “Well, that seems like a small price to pay to allow us to live in peace.”

Hook extended his arm out to motion for them to continue on. Some of his sleeve rode up his arm, revealing a leather cuff to his companion. “Where did you get that?” she demanded. “It belonged to my mother.”

“Yes. Well, she enchanted it so I could climb the beanstalk in our world. She-”

“I don’t care why she gave it to you. It’s hers and I want it back.”

“You plan to blow this town off the map and you’re worried about a scrap of cowhide?”

“She was my mother.”

“Well, she was my friend.”

“Hardly.” Regina gave him a glare and took the cuff off of his wrist, attaching it to her own. “Now, follow me closely,” she ordered.

They walked into a large cavern. As they came into it there was a steep drop where one wrong move could potentially end a life.

“Precarious,” Hook said as he looked over the edge. “You couldn’t have just hidden the trigger in the back of your wardrobe?”

“It had to be both well-hidden and well-guarded. I put it somewhere no on would ever think I’d go.”

“Yeah… when you say well-guarded, who’s guarding it?”

“A friend. She’s been through a lot. There’s powerful spell here that sustains her in whatever form she’s in.” “She turned around to look him in the eye. “In fact, Hook, she’s the reason why this is a two-man job.”

“And that am I exactly here to do?”

“I’ll get the trigger, and you? Well, you’re the distraction.”

“What?”

Regina pushed Hook down the steep underground cliff into the guardian’s lair. After falling in, Hook looked around to see particles of ash swirling around, concentrating on one area of the lair. They continue to swirl until a humanoid form comes together. Recognising the horns on the form, Hook couldn’t help but say, “Maleficent. Love you in earth tones.”

Aggravated by his words, Maleficent lunged at him. Killian side-stepped and slashed her with his hook, earning an ear-splitting scream as she continued to attack.

Her screeches could be heard echoing in the higher areas of the cave where Regina was. She saw a light being reflected deeper into the cave. Walking towards it, it becomes clearer. There, many metres below ground, lay Snow White’s glass coffin.

Regina smashed on of the pieces of glass in the coffin and rooted around, looking for a small object. Taking off a bit of wood inside it, she reached in and grabbed the little velvet pouch from within. Opening the pouch, she tipped the contents out of it: a large brown diamond.

Smiling to herself she made her way back up into the library, only to find Hook, alive and well, waiting for her.

* * *

The journey back to Storybrooke took less time than the journey London. Probably had something to do with her increased magical power or, the rotation of the earth. Despite being eager to return to Storybrooke, her stomach told her otherwise.

Alas, stricter magic laws still existed. She couldn’t just conjure food. Almost passing out with the hunger, she reformed in an alleyway in the nearest town. Shuffling towards the smell of freshly cooked meats, she came upon a diner. The diner was not very busy with only a few patrons about. Discretely putting her hand on her wand, she confounded the man working at the till after ordering her food.

She practically collapsed into one of the booths facing the door. Sighing heavily, she put her hand on her face, rubbing her head. The food she had ordered came. At the same time the door opened.

The patron who walked in gasped in surprise. Bellatrix glanced up and froze like a deer in headlights. The woman who came in tried to speak but all her moth could do was open and close uselessly. Shaking her head she approached the witch quickly and sat in across from her.

“How, in Merlin’s beard, are you here?” she hissed.

Bellatrix got over her shock and blinked a few times.

“Nice to see you too, Andy.”

* * *

“How?” Regina said in shock.

“Startling aren’t I? Some people say _striking_.”

“You couldn’t have survived that.”

“Well, you should know by now, the one thing I excel at is surviving. The amazing thing is, you almost had me. All that stuff about a fresh, clean start, just killing ‘em and moving on… it kinda touched me. For a moment there, I thought we had a real connection. And honestly, I almost put a stop to my plan.”

“Your plan?”

“Well, their plan, but I fancied it. And they did save me from that wretched… whatever Maleficent is. Do you, uh, know these two?” he asked moving to the side. Greg and Tamara came into the room through another entry way. “Well, they have a way with magic, Or should I say, a way against magic.”

“Enough of this,” Regina said, getting impatient. She put her hand out, expecting a fireball to appear, but it never does.

Seeing what she was attempting to do, Greg interjected. “Yeah, sorry. That’s not going to work. Not anymore.”

Looking down at her arms she eyed her mother’s accessory. “The cuff. You gave me this.” She turned to Hook.

“No, you rather insisted.”

“You knew I would want it.”

“True. They rigged it with something that blocks your magic. It’s impressive.”

“So little bitty Owen does grown-up magic of his own now.”

“It’s not magic. Actually, this is something much better. Science.” As he was explaining Regina was trying to pry the cuff off her wrist but was unsuccessful. “You—you can stop doing that. It’s not going to work. You might be able to get rid of the leather, but inside are the toughest metals and machinery known to man, and right now they’re counteracting every magic bone in your body.”

“Which one was she?” Tamara interrupted, pulling a list out of her bag.

“Uh, she was the—the Queen. The Evil Queen.”

“Yes. I was… the Queen.”

“But now here you’re nothing.”

“And what are you?”

“I’m just a man—a man on a mission.”

“And all this just to try to find your father. I already told you, I don’t know where…”

“Yes, you do. But that’s not my mission.”

“Then what is?”

“I’m not telling you.” He turned to Tamara. “Bag her.” Tamara approached her with a burlap sack but before she could cover Regina’s head with it, she dodged out of the way. Quickly, before anyone could stop her, she pulled out the mirror in her pocket and half-yelled Bellatrix’s name into it.

As the surface began to shimmer, Regina was jabbed hard into the shoulder. She fell down like a rock. The mirror, smashed to pieces on the ground.

* * *

“You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Shut the hell up, Andy. We’re in a public setting.”

“So many people saw you _die_ , Bella. How is this even possible? Why are you even here?”

“Questions, questions, Andy, all these pesky questions. Can’t a woman eat in peace around here?” Bellatrix took a bite out of her steak sandwich.

“There’s something different about you. I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Andromeda thought pensively. “You haven’t aged!”

“Of course I’ve aged. Do you not see these greys?” she asked pointing to the grey streaks in her hair. “As much as I hate to admit it, you look better than I’ve been.”

Andromeda spluttered. “Have you seen yourself? Ugh, anyways, that’s not what I want to know. Why are you really here? This is the last place in the world I’d expect you to be. Although, honestly I thought you were totally obliterated.”

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here?”

“I asked first.”

“It’s a long story.” _Hah. Story,_ she laughed to herself.

“I have time.”

“Well, sadly, I don’t. Send me an owl, would you?” she quickly finished the rest of her sandwich and left Andromeda stunned.

Once she came back to herself, Andromeda raced after her sister, grabbing her by the arm. “I’m not finished. Why? How? Where do you have to be that is so urgent?”

“Andy, enough of this foolishness! Just leave! Like you always do!” Bellatrix screamed. She felt a burning sensation in her pocket. Letting out a sigh she quickly whipped out the mirror only to see the other fall and break into thousands of shards.

Eyes widening, she ran to the closest place with the most cover and resumed smoke form. What she didn’t realise was that her sister was following behind her.

* * *

“It’s okay. She’s not here,” Emma called from Regina’s office. Mary Margaret, David, and Henry made their way inside. Henry looked up at Emma with concern. “When you find her, you’re not gonna hurt her, right?”

“No. We just want the beans she stole from us.”

“I don’t get it,” said Mary Margaret. “Why would Regina leave her office unlocked?”

“Especially when she’s keeping the beans here,” David contributed. They all walked towards the glass case where the beans grew.

Mary Margaret noticed the lack of any bean pods on the stalk. “ _Was_ keeping them here. They’re gone.”

“Something’s not right, Emma deducted. “Regina would never leave evidence like this behind.”

“Maybe she already used them to portal out of Storybrooke?” her father suggested.

“Without Henry? I don’t think so.”

“What if something bad happened to her?”

Emma walked over to the keypad to the office’s security alarm. “Security system says the last time someone was in the office was around six this morning.” She pressed a button on the pad. What she found confused her. “They used an override code to get in.”

“Why would Regina need an override code on her own alarm?”

“She wouldn’t.”

“You think someone else broke in and took the beans?”

“Well, we haven’t found Regina anywhere and haven’t heard from her.”

“So something bad did happen to her.”

“We’re gonna find her Henry, I promise. “

“There’s only one person who could overpower Regina.”

“Gold.”

“He’s too busy with his new/old girlfriend. No, this wasn’t Gold. This was Tamara.”

The Charmings gave her a look, trying to get her to let go of her ex-lover-who-got-her-into-jail-and-is-also-her-son’s-father’s fiancé. They believed her to be jealous. This, however, was not the case. It was a shame no one believed her.

* * *

Bellatrix crossed the town line with no bother at all. Once she was totally within the town limits, she felt a rush of power wash over her. Her Dark One magic was back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof.  
> Hope you enjoyed reading that chapter, I enjoyed writing it :)  
> Disclaimer: I copied a looot of the dialogue from OUAT.  
> Sorry for any mistakes.
> 
> That's all for now folks *Cue Warner Bros cartoon outro*
> 
> -Snowy


	16. No one Except Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scenes of torture in this one just to warn y'all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically I wrote this while I was supposed to be doing work so yeah... Anyways as always, hope you enjoy :)

Andromeda followed her sister all the way to the hidden town of Storybrooke. She wondered what was so special here that Bellatrix would come rushing. Her mind was going in a blur. Bellatrix was here, alive. Andy was surprised she hadn’t made any attempts on her life. It was strange. Something was definitely off about her. Not just her age, her whole aura. It was much, much darker.

She shivered as she thought of the energy she had felt outside the diner, or however one would shiver as a cloud. She had only gone in to see what the source of it was. Little did she know who she would have seen sitting in a booth munching on a steak sandwich.

The younger witch was brought back to the present as she saw the black pillar ahead of her descended to the ground. As they passed a red line on the road, Andromeda could feel a great shift in the atmosphere. It was denser, yet, lighter simultaneously. She knew it could only be one thing; _magic_.

* * *

“Did you get into her office?” Greg inquired as Tamara walked towards him.

Holding up a pouch, she smiled. “Magic beans. Neal told me about them. They open portals.”

He looked at her with slight jealousy. “I bet he told you a lot, huh?”

“Don’t be jealous. As soon as we’re done, this is coming off. “She pointed to her ring finger.

“Yeah, well, you can have this one instead.” Greg handed her the pouch containing the large brown crystal that could destroy the whole town and everyone in it.

“What the hell is that?”

“I don’t know. Regina had it on her.”

“We’ll send it back with the rest of the data. I think the Home Office Is gonna have a field day with everything we’ve collected so far.”

“I still have one thing to do.”

“Make it quick. We’ll be getting our instructions soon.”

“Oh this isn’t gonna take long.”

* * *

Bellatrix sensed someone following her once she had felt the rush of dark magic wash over her. Having a hunch on who it was, she decided to turn toward her slowly for dramatic effect. Andromeda froze as she saw Bellatrix move to face her with a smirk which quickly morphed into a scowl.

“You shouldn’t have followed me, Andy,” she said in a low voice, slightly distorted it as it layered with the pervious Dark Ones’. A black smoke-like haze seemed to ooze out around her, obscuring her in darkness. It crept forward toward the younger sister. Still frozen in place, the darkness swept over her, pressing into Andy at all sides. It was suffocating.

“Why are you here?” Bellatrix’s distorted voice echoed around her.

Struggling to breathe, Andy gasped out, “I want to know what happened to you.”

“Liar.”

“I-huuh- I swear. I never thought I’d see you again before the battle. To make things right between us. I want to know what brought you here. Out of all places, why Maine?” she cried out desperately.

“Why not?”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

The smoke tendrils loosened its grip as Bellatrix became visible. She could be seen smirking though the haze. Her mouth widened to a Cheshire grin, bearing her teeth. She let out a loud cackle and dissolved all the smoke.

“My, you’re quite tenacious in this world,” she chuckled.

_This world_. The two words echoed around in Andromeda’s head. _Another world_. She stood still as she processed the information. A look of utter confusion was etched onto her face.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, from the sounds of it, I have a few people to maul.” Bellatrix turned on her heel to leave. The sudden movement jerked Andromeda out of her stupor. “Wait!” she yelled going into a slight run to catch up with her.

Taken slightly by surprise, Bellatrix swivelled her head back around, raising an eyebrow in a non-verbal yes. “Let me come with you.”

Giving Andromeda her signature smirk she gave her answer. “Of course.”

* * *

Regina turned to Hook. “Whatever they’re offering you, it’s not worth it.”

“Well, considering they’re offering to have me kill Rumplestiltskin, I’d say it is.”

“And you actually trust them? You don’t even know who you’re working for. You don’t even know that Rumple is already dead!”

Greg came into the room where Regina was strapped to a gurney, dragging a large electric contraption behind him.

“Good morning, Regina.”

“This part of your ‘mission’?” she sassed back.

“No. This is personal,” he said as he attached Regina to the machine. “See, this is about my father.”

“I already told you, he left town.”

“Yet he never came to find his only son?” He spoke to Hook, “Look, would you mind lending me a hand? And, preferably your good one?” he joked.

“Sorry, mate. Gonna have to say no. When you’re interested in killing Rumplestiltskin, who I believe to be still alive, and not torturing the Queen, find me,” Hook snapped as he left, leaving Regina to the other man’s mercy.

“Well, I guess it’s just me and you,” Greg smiled as he went to switch on the machine. The contraption whirred to life as he pressed a button and flipped up a switch.

“Is that supposed to frighten me?”

“Well it should. You see, this is how we deal with your kind. And yes, it’s going to be unpleasant—well, that depends on you. Now, where is my father?”

Regina glared at him as best she could while she lied on her back, not making a sound. Greg took a look at her. Suddenly he slammed his hand down onto a button. Regina’s screams rang through the room.

* * *

As Tamara came back from wherever she was and walked over to Greg, ignoring Regina. “Everything’s taken care of.”

“They bought it?”

“As far as Emma and Neal are concerned, I’m just running along the beach. How are things with the Queen?” she asked, finally taking note of their hostage.

“You know, she’s not exactly cooperative. But that’s about to change, right, Regina?” He turned up the dial on the machine and pressed the button again releasing the electricity. This stream was more painful than the last. Her nerves are set alight until Greg turned it off. The pain continued to thrum uncomfortably through her body.

“You have no… idea who you’re dealing with.”

“Actually no, you have no idea who you are dealing with.”

“A couple of fools over their heads who go around stealing magic.”

“Stealing magic?” Tamara chuckled. “That’s what you think we’re here to do?”

“We’re not here to steal magic. We’re here to destroy it.”

“Magic does not belong in this world. It’s unholy. We’re here to cleanse this land of it.”

Letting out a strained chuckle of her own, she laughed, “You think you can destroy magic? Just the two of you?”

Greg and Tamara gave a knowingly look to each other then they faced Regina. “Well, who said there’s only two of us? Oh, we’re everywhere, Regina. See, after I left Storybrooke, as a boy, I was babbling about magic, about what I had seen, and what happened to my father. Most folks, they wrote me off. But some didn’t. And they found me.”

“They?”

“Believers. People that know magic is real.”

“And that it doesn’t belong in this world,” Tamara chipped in. “and we are willing to do something about it.”

“This little quest of yours, to cleanse the world of magic, it’s not gonna work.”

“No, of course it will. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. Do you think that Storybrooke was the first time that magic has crossed over? I think a more recent one the organisation had gotten was somewhere in London.”

When Regina heard that she froze. Bellatrix. Her brain went into overdrive wondering if Bella was alright. She had totally blocked out what the other two were saying.

“Magic has been doing its damage for a long time.”

“And people like us—we’re here to stop it.”

Not being prepared as she had not been paying attention to her captors, Regina’s body seized as electricity scorched through her veins.

* * *

“Alright, so judging on how the mirror smashed before Regina could tell me anything, I’m going to assume she’s not at home or in her vault.”

“Woah, slow down, where are you going? What’s happening?”

“Oh really, Andy, you must stop with all of the questions it’s getting tedious. I have to do this first.”

“And what is _this_ exactly?”

“Andy, questions.”

“Sorry.”

Bellatrix went deep in thought as they walked to the loft. Thinking up a plan, she mentally sent a message to dead-not-dead Rumple to help the Charmings in whatever way they needed.

They finally arrived at the loft and went up the steps. Deciding to be polite this time, she knocked on the door, albeit not gently. The door opened to a surprised Charming. Unsure what to do, Andromeda stood outside awkwardly while Bellatrix breezed past him without any greeting. The older black sister took a seat at the island in the kitchen as she saw Snow sitting on a chair by the table.

“Well did you get it?”

“Get it? What the hell do you think you’re doing here? I thought you disappeared when Rumple came back?”

“Correction, Rumple _appeared_ when _I_ left. He’s just a, conjuring of the late Rumplestiltskin. All his memories are intact but he has no real will of his own apart from loving those that he loves and ensuring I can get what _I_ want. And right now, that’s Regina. I know he gave you her tears so what are you waiting for? Drop them in!”

“We were about to do just that before you decided to barge in.”

“Alright, first of all, I knocked, second of all, Andy you can come in now,” she called out. Andromeda timidly entered the loft. Unsure of what to do with herself, she took the other seat beside Bella. “Now, care to put the tears in your eyes now Snow Flake?”

“Uh, sure. David?”

David got the vial with the tears and the small dropper that came with it. Snow tilted her head up to allow the drops to go into her eyes. They all waited with a held breath.

Snow blinked a few times then shook her head. Nothing.

Suddenly her back arched as she screamed in pain. Her body seized and shook as the screams continued. David immediately held her but as fast as it came, it left. Snow’s pain subsided. Still dazed, she sat upright wearily and looked around, surprised to see Bellatrix standing up leaning towards her, eyes wide with worry. Her observations were interrupted by a concerned David.

“What did you see?”

“I couldn’t—couldn’t really see anything. There was so much… pain. It was like my insides were on fire. Wherever Regina is… she’s in trouble.”

“Well thank you for that great deduction, I think I’ve figured that out for myself, thanks,” Bellatrix hissed at the lack of information Snow was providing. It was quite obvious from her reaction to the tears that Regina was being tortured out there. If anyone was going to be torturing around here it was going to be _her_.

David shot Bellatrix a scathing glare and asked Snow if there was anything else she noticed.

“There was a machine. There was a light over me and I—I don’t know. There was a smell of sardines?”

“Sardines. The cannery. Emma was right. I’ll give her a call.” Taking his phone out, he dialled Emma’s number relaying what they had discovered while Bellatrix fidgeted, unable to stand still.

Once David got off the phone demanded, “What does it look like? The cannery? What does it look like?”

Stunned for a second, David began to describe the building. Andromeda, sensing what Bella was about to do with the information, moved closer to her sister. Once David had given his description, Andromeda grabbed Bellatrix’s arm as she disapparated along with her in a loud pop.

_No one gets to torture anyone around here._ Bellatrix thought as she disappeared. _No one, except me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tehe. I'm not sorry. Again, it may be another while until the next update. Once again, hope you enjoyed.
> 
> -Snowy


	17. Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. How y'all doin'?  
> Hope you guys enjoy :)

Bellatrix stared on, eyes blazing as she looked at Regina lying on the bed. Arms crossed, breathing heavily, she observed the way the head witch, or mother fairy, whatever she’s called waved her wand over the queen’s unmoving form. Her head snapped up coming back to reality when Mother Superior finally spoke.

“Now that the cuff is off, she’s gonna be okay. Given time and rest, her magic will return.” Mother Superior made her way to leave when Emma walked in to the loft looking dazed and forlorn. David went up to her to provide comfort. Andy paced quietly around the building observing those around her.

Bellatrix took no note of what they were saying and sat down by Regina taking her hand into her own. She gave it a small squeeze.

Her mind was brought back to when they stormed Storybrooke’s cannery. She arrived there first with Andy to left to scout the area first. The stench of fish was overwhelming and she brought her arm up to cover her face for a moment. Her ears pricked up as her hearing was filled with static. That was when she heard it. Horrible, gut wrenching screams that echoed throughout the area. Eyes widening she remembered another moment form her past.

_“Crucio!” her Lord exclaimed. Bellatrix’s body was engulfed in a tremendous pain. Unable to kneel upright, she fell to her side, writhing in agony. Muscles loosened and contracted. Nerves were frying. It was like she was on fire, being eaten from the inside out. She had disappointed her Lord. She had disappointed him greatly._

_“You deserve this you know,” he snarled. “You’ve displeased me. You failed in your task of obtaining the prophecy from the Ministry of Magic. You were bested by a group of mere teenagers. Although I must admit, you are the only one of my Death Eaters to return despite everything that has happened. Even with my assistance. I am a merciful Lord. Am I not?” He released the curse that was causing her much pain._

_With the abrupt end of the curse, she barely registered the question. In a haze she replied, “No, my Lord. You are indeed merciful.”_

_As she panted on the ground, the Dark Lord approached her. “Get up.”_

Another volley of screams pierced her ears. Regina. Bellatrix burst through the door separating her from her queen. Eyes blazing her magic took over. She first aimed for the machine that was the source of the irritating buzz. Forming her hand into a fist, the body of the box had completely crumpled into itself. Finally there was silence. Until she hear a clatter of something metal. Snapping her head to the side she zoned in on the man scrambling to make is escape. She thrust her arm out and violently swung it to the side. Greg was flung through the remnants of the glass door. Sadly, it hadn’t rendered him unconscious.

Moving towards him threateningly she glared down at him, barely containing herself. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes as she ended him. To see his spirit leave his body. To see him utterly destroyed. Greg looked up and met her eyes only to see two black orbs staring back at him.

Her lip curled up into a victorious smirk. Preferring a messier end to him, she summoned an obsidian scythe. Swinging it around a few times she prepared to strike.

“Regina!”

The shout reverberated through the cannery. How could she have forgotten? The scythe disappeared from her hands. Emma came through the door just to see Bellatrix desperately untying the restraints holding Regina to the gurney.

Fumbling with the buckles, Bellatrix had practically forgotten the magic she had at her disposal. Emma ran to her and opened some of the other restraints while Hook disconnected the wires that attached Regina to the machine.

“Hey,” Snow greeted softly, taking Bellatrix out of her reverie. “I have some cold water and a rag to bring her temperature down.”

Bellatrix nodded in thanks. Dipping the cloth in the water, she squeezed it then gently patted it onto her head.

Feeling the cool, wet cloth upon her forehead, Regina came to. She looked up at Bellatrix, smiling weakly. “You’re back,” she croaked. Eying Snow behind the witch, she added in disbelief “And you… you saved me?”

“Yes.”

“You really think we’d let you die?” David added in. A tear rolled down Regina’s face. “Despite our differences, we’re family. Plus, Bellatrix did a fair amount of the work.” Bella scoffed at that.

“Wish I could have gotten a better go at him. I almost gutted that weasel.”

“Where are they?” Regina asked suddenly. Seeing David’s perplexed expression she elaborated. “Where are Greg and Tamara?”

“They got away,” David answered.

“So they still have it,” Regina exhaled.

“Still have what?”

“A trigger?”

“That will destroy Storybrooke. I had a fail-safe built into the curse.”

“Why exactly were you carrying it around?”

“She was going to destroy us Mary Margaret.”

“I was going to use the beans to take Henry back to the Enchanted forest.”

“And in the process, kill all of us!”

“You wanna discuss justification? You were going to abandon me. Or shall we discuss the more pressing issue, which is that I no longer control the trigger?”

Bellatrix said in a small voice, “Were you going to leave me too? Or were you going to wait?” She fiddled with a string from her corset that was hanging down.

“I was going to do it. Whether you were there or not, I would have done it as long as it kept my son safe with me.”

Bellatrix seemed to withdraw into herself.

Regina paused, realising what she had said.

“I—I didn’t mean it like that…”

“No. It’s fine. I left. Either way, it doesn’t matter now.” Bellatrix took a deep breath in and stood up. “We have to focus on the problem ahead of us now. Not what could have been. Now, the trigger. What would activate this thing? Where would those two bastards be now?”

“Umm… a dwarf’s pickaxe… in the mines. They would be in the mines!”

The group were interrupted by the former Dark One walking into the loft.

“Gold, what are you doing here?” David asked.

“Well, my son made it clear I’m to stay away from him, so I’m spending time with my grandson instead.”

“Emma, why don't you talk to Henry, and we'll handle this.” Emma went over to Henry while Snow and David continued speaking with Rumple. “Mr. Gold, we have some news to share with you, and it’s not good.”

“Not interested.”

“It’s about your son.”

“Yeah. What about him?”

“Tamara shot him.”

“What? He’s dead?”

“They used a bean to open a portal. Neal was hurt so badly that he fell through. He’s gone.”

“Bae wasn’t supposed to die.”

“Greg and Tamara—they took something from Regina—a magical trigger. A fail-safe in the curse that could destroy Storybrooke.”

“If they activate it, it’s a self-destruct. Everyone not born in this world will die.”

“I know it’s hard but we need your help.”

“No”

“They killed you son in cold blood and you don’t wanna stop them?”

“They didn’t kill my son. I did. I brought magic to this world to find Bae and now he’s dead. Magic always has a price, and this—this is it. But I’m prepared to pay it.”

“But… we’ll die. You’ll die!”

“Well, I’ve made my peace with that. Besides, I’m already dead. I’m not even here, I’m just a hallucination.”

* * *

“What are we supposed to do with it?”

“They want us to move onto the next phase.”

“Already?”

“Yeah! There’s only one way to get what we all want.” She picked up the trigger. “We have to blow up Storybrooke.”

* * *

Regina heard the others talking as she discussed things with Bellatrix. Being helped up from the bed, Regina put on her boots. When they finished talking she saw Henry over with the Charmings running towards her. “Henry!”

“Mom!” He jumped into her arms leaving her slightly winded. Suddenly the earth rumbled beneath them.

Emma started. “Regina, was that…”

“Yes. The diamond was activated.”

“So we’re all gonna die.”

“You were born here, so you’ll live. I’m not so certain on Bellatrix.”

“I don’t doubt that. London here is far different to the one I’ve known.” The Dark One said under her breath. Her sister added in, “Speaking of which I should go back,” and quickly departed.

“But… I’ll be alone.”

“I’m so sorry Henry.”

“It’s not gonna happen, I’m not gonna let it.” Emma turned to face Regina. “You did this, now make it stop.”

“I can’t there’s no way.”

“WELL, FIGURE IT OUT! It’s your fault!” Emma roared at her causing Bellatrix to approach and take her arm in a bruising grip.

“STOP!” Henry shouted. “I already lost my dad. I don’t wanna lose anybody else. We have to work together.”

Hook, who had snuck in unknown to the others, interjected “From the mouths of babes, I’d say the lad has a point.” Wasting no time, David’s fist met the captain’s face.

“That was for the last time we met,” he said as she drew his gun. “Tell us why you’re here before I use something other than my fist.”

“I think threatening to kill me seems a bit redundant when we’re all about to die anyway.” His lips turned up in a sly grin.

“No thanks to you. Regina just told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge.” Emma snarled at him.

“Well, that was before they told me I had to die to get it.”

“We don’t have time for this. We have a real problem.”

They Charmings along with Hook, Regina and Bellatrix discussed what to do next. The plan was to steal the beans back from Tamara and use them to travel to the Enchanted Forest, leaving Stroybrooke to be destroyed. Regina and Bellatrix were to try to delay the trigger to buy the others more time.

“I’ll take Regina to slow down the diamond, give you guys time,” Emma began to order. “Mary Margaret, take Henry and gather everyone. Make sure they’re ready to go as soon as we have those beans.”

Before Henry went to leave, Regina caught him. “Henry, before you go, I’m sorry for what’s happened. I tried to be the person that you wanted me to be and I failed. But I won’t let you be alone. You just know that I love you.”

“I love you too.” The mother embraced her son and then went their separate ways.

Hook chimed in “The things we do for our children…”

* * *

The gravel crunched beneath their feet as the three women made their way through the mine. An overwhelming density pressed down on the trio.

“I can feel it. It’s like the oxygen’s being sucked out of the air.”

“Not the oxygen,” Regina clarified. “The magic.”

Walking a few more paces, they reached their destination. The destructive gem hovered in the air, emitting a glowing beam of light channelling into the ground. Bellatrix’s gaze glued to the object. “There it is. Once it stops glowing, it’s destruction is achieved. And then… Well, then we’ll see real carnage. I’ll try to contain its energy as long as I can.” Regina turned facing away from the crystal.

“Won’t be long. We’ll have the beans soon. We can get the hell out of here,” Emma assured.

Her voice caught in her throat. “Slowing the device… It’s going to require all of the strength I have.”

Bellatrix tore away from the deadly crystal. _No._ Emma understood what Regina was saying. “You’re not coming with us, are you?” _She couldn’t let this happen._ “When you said goodbye to Henry, you were… saying goodbye.”

“He knows I love him, doesn’t he?”

“Regina, no. There has gotta be another way!”

“You were right, you know,” she said, ignoring what the blonde was saying. “Everything that’s happening, it’s my fault. I created this device. It’s only fitting that it takes my life.”

_This isn’t happening_ Bellatrix thought. She inched over to the gem, unseen by the bickering pair.

“Regina, please…”

“Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen, including my own son. Let me die as Regina.” The former Queen made a move towards the object intent on destroying the town only to see Bellatrix standing over it.

“It was nice meeting you, Regina.”

With that she reached her arms out. The magic burst from her hands into the crystal.


	18. End of the Beginning?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, how y'all been? I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and #sorrynotsorry for the ending XD

She let out a gasp at the sensation of her energy draining at a rapid pace. Despite having lots of energy to drain, the initial shock of it had Bellatrix panting, wobbling on her feet. Her eyelids dropped down as she stood there.

Regina looked at her, eyes wide.

“Come on, Regina. We gotta go,” Emma prompted as she thought about her family. Reluctant to leave, the saviour resorted to partially dragging the Queen out of the mines.

Regina’s thoughts were going a mile a minute. _Had she really just left Bellatrix down there all on her own? She couldn’t remember the last time someone had sacrificed themselves for her._ That line of thought led her to think about her father and Daniel. Her heart ached. Ached for her loss. 

She barely registered that they had arrived at Granny’s.

“We have the bean,” David announced to the rest of Charming Clan.

“You did it?”

“Yeah.”

Noticing an injury on David’s arm Emma asked if he was okay. Reassuringly he told her it was only grazed.

“Okay, let’s get going. Henry?”

“Why is mom still here? Isn’t she supposed to be stopping the trigger?”

“Uh—Bellatrix stayed behind to hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape but she probably won’t survive,” she said in a low voice, still in shock of what had occurred.

“What?” several voices exclaimed simultaneously.

“Is this true mom?”

“Yes, Henry. She—” her voice hitched. “She got to the crystal before I did while Ms Swan and I were—exchanging goodbyes.”

“Goodbyes? Because you weren’t going to come back? You were just going to leave me? Leave everyone else behind? Abandon us?”

“I was going to do it to protect you after what _I_ did! Now, Bellatrix is paying the price.”

“How come you’re using her first name?”

“Now is not the time Ms Swan.”

“So basically you strung along a woman who tortured people for fun and lead her to her death. Wow, you really know how to be a great friend Regina,” Hook interjected.

Henry finished, “Leave her behind like you were going to leave us?”

Regina sighed. “Listen. Not even a few hours ago I had been electrocuted within an inch of my life, my magic drained. Excuse me if I’m thinking irrationally but you’re my number one priority Henry.”

“She’s still a person. Yes, she might not be from our world but think of what she’s done since she came. She stopped mom from taking out grandma’s heart, she brought back Mr Gold. I just have a feeling.”

“We’re hardly going to stake our survival on this woman that came out of nowhere,” Hook drawled. “I say we should go now while we have the chance.”

“Why are you so invested in saving her? Where is this coming from?”

“Why are you not?” Henry exclaimed. “I don’t know why, but I’ve got a good feeling about her. Something is telling me that she should be getting a second chance like you’ve gotten.”

Hook chuckled. “That’s nice and all young lad but we’ve got a bigger problem at hand. It can’t exactly disappear.”

Then a thought struck Snow. “Maybe it can disappear.” She turned to Emma. “Remember when we got rid of the wraith? We sent it through a portal. Why can’t we do the same thing with the self-destruct?”

Being the pessimist (arguably the realist) she was, Emma expressed her concerns on whether it would be possible to send it anywhere. Everyone else, however, believed that this plan could work. Even Regina had relatively high hopes for this plan.

“Look, I know we haven’t a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. Let us do the right thing. It’s not too late.”

Emma embraced Henry. “I just don’t want him to be alone. I don’t want him to grow up the way I did.”

A loud boom reverberated in the distance followed by the ground beneath them trembling.

* * *

Deep in the mines Bellatrix had grown accustomed to the constant magical output. Her breathing had somewhat evened out as she stared, mesmerised at the glowing jewel.

Knowing this would be the last thing she would ever do, Bellatrix contemplated her life.

From what she could remember of her childhood, which was very little, were her studies. How muggle-borns were inferior to pure families. Torjus pur. Always pure.

She thought of her service to the Dark Lord, when she met him. Attracted to his aura, his sheer power, she was easily won over. Remembering she had an obsession for him, it didn’t quite pass the boundary of mentor despite what others thought. Working towards a better future, revelling in the chaos, getting thrown into Azkaban and fighting so much throughout the years. All of it was for nought. They still lost. After dedicating her life to this man she had gotten nothing. She had destroyed her relationship with her sisters. In the end where did that get her?

A small smile spread across her face. It got her here, into Storybrooke. She helped create chaos in the quaint town, learned about how much wider the world was with all of the realms, and she met Regina.

Regina, her queen, gave her new a purpose for life… a life that was close to its end.

Closing her eyes, she accepted the fate that lay before her. For what it was worth, she was glad this was how she was really going to go down: protecting the one she lo—admires. Her magic continued to funnel through into the crystal.

* * *

“This plan could fail,” Emma said apprehensively. “If we use that bean now, we can get away for sure. We will survive.”

“But it’s wrong. Emma, living off of someone’s sacrifice like this? It isn’t right. Accepting this and allowing Bellatrix to die… that’s taking away someone Regina cares about. I can see it in her eyes, she cares about this woman. I can’t be the reason she loses another person.”

“This was Bellatrix’s decision. We have to take this opportunity to use that bean and leave while we can.”

“Emma, I killed her mother. That’s another person I’ve taken away from her.”

“You did that to Cora because you had to.”

“I did it because it was easy. It was a mistake. There were other paths, harder paths, and I wish I had taken them. Letting her go is the easy way out. So please, Emma, honey, let’s take the hard path. Because if we don’t we will be building a future on Bellatrix’s blood.”

Regina was torn at what Snow was saying. Was she really going to go through with this? Leave the one person in this town who accepted her for who she was? _No, this was all for Henry._

Hesitating for a moment, Emma gave her verdict.

“Okay.”

David tossed the pouch that held the bean to her. Before she was able to catch it, Hook snatched it out of the air.

“You’re all mad,” he laughed. “I can live with myself.”

Emma snarled. “Give it back.”

“If she wants to die for us, I say let her. She is of no significance to me, love. Barely know the wench.”

Regina lunged at him with a growl only to be stopped by a small hand on her arm. “Insult her again, I dare you.”

The Charmings around her exchanged looks.

Not wanting a premature death by the Queen’s hand, Hook relented and gave Emma the pouch.

* * *

Bellatrix stood there with her eyes closed. Her breaths became slower and slower, almost lethargic. Soon enough her heart would stop and the trigger would ravage the whole town. As she stood there, she hoped Regina had gotten away with her son.

Suddenly in the distance she could hear the crunch of gravel. Someone was coming towards her. A lot of them were by the sounds of it.

Blearily she opened her eyes, waiting for her vision to clear. Finally she could make out the figures. “What are you doing here?” she croaked.

“You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero,” a small voice said to her. “Now we’re gonna be heroes.”

“We’re gonna open up a portal, throw this thing into a void.”

“No, nothing can just disappear. It will always end up somewhere else. These are basic laws in magic!”

“We have to try.”

“Everybody step aside. Emma?”

Reaching into her pocket, Emma takes out the pouch and opened it. It was empty… Hook.

“You lot better get going before this thing blow up on us.” Bella’s voice got a bit stronger. However, her once steady hands were now shaking with the effort of containing the destruction in the crystal. “Now go. Find that pirate, get the bean and get out of here.”

A spark leapt from the crystal shocking her. The surge caused her to hiss in discomfort. “Well, what are you lot waiting for? A written invitation?”

“No,” Regina said. “I shouldn’t have left you down here on your own in the first place.” Stepping closer to her she continued. “You mean a great deal to me Bella.” She wiped away a tear that had fallen down the Dark One’s face. “And I am not leaving you again. Henry has another mother. He doesn’t really need me,” her voice fell into a whisper. “But you—you need someone else in this world who will stand by you.”

Regina moved her hands down to the crystal allowing her own magic clash with the gem. The air swirled thickly around the two of them, obscuring them from the Charmings’ view.

With the gusts of air, the group stood back from the source in order to avoid the flying bits of dirt and gravel. Suddenly the wind had withdrawn into the crystal, only to send a blast around it. The wave caused everyone in the vicinity to fall to the ground.

“We’re alive!” David exclaimed and helped Snow come up from the floor of the mine. She then proceeded to assist Emma.

Regina had gotten to her feet only to see Bellatrix struggling to get up. She rushed to get to her. Gently, she lifted the unconscious woman’s head onto her lap as she knelt down, mimicking the way she had when they were in the vault. Regina softly brushed Bella’s hair out of her face. The small movement appeared to rouse the witch from her brief slumber.

“Hey,” she smiled up at her weakly.

“Hey.”

“That took a lot more out of me than I thought it would.”

“Indeed it did. Please don’t do something like that again.”

“You were going to try and stop it first, pet.”

“You guys did it,” Emma said in disbelief.

“Yes we did,” Regina confirmed. She helped Bellatrix upright. The woman in question seemed to be getting her energy back at a relative speed.

“Gotta hand it to Henry,” David chuckled. “He’d right about a lot of things.”

“Henry?”

* * *

They were in a panic, Bellatrix in a slightly dazed panic but panicked all the same. She may have taken a peek into Snow’s mind to catch up on events and realised it was because of her and Henry that everyone came down. It was also alarming to her since Regina was filled with worry.

As they searched the path from where they were to the lift, Emma ran ahead as she had seen something. It was Henry’s backpack.

Once they were out of the mine, the group managed to catch up to Greg and Tamara with Henry in tow.

Seeing them coming, Greg hurled a bean into the water causing it to churn and formed into a vortex. Bellatrix sprinted forward with a surge of adrenaline and dove into the water after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... that happened.   
> Also, to clear up any possible confusion, the crystal was a lot more draining in this than it was on the show, so yeah.
> 
> Hope you see you guys next time! (Figuratively XD)
> 
> -Snowy


End file.
